United Methodist Church Pastor Poet

Rev, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

2012-01-17T12:19:00.000-08:00

I was privileged to attend Boston University School of Theology for my training for ministry. I value the education I received and the experience of being in Boston, it is a great city rich with tradition and culture. I was able to take a course on the life and ministry of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, who studied for his doctorate at the same school I was attending. Dr. Cartwright who taught the course had marched with Dr. King, and had a personal relationship with him. We visited the special collections section of the Library which contained items donated by the family of Dr. King, notes from speeches, telephone message pads, books , etc. This helped me to see Dr. King, as a man dedicated to God even in the face of such adversity.
From the very beginning, Rev. King saw the possibility of a kind of community that transcended "our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation," not as a far fetched ideal, but something that could be created right now in history. Dr. King walked, preached, boycotted, went to jail, endured threats on his life because he believed with all his heart and soul in the vision of a completely integrated society. A "Beloved community" of love and justice. For him this was the ideal expression of what God intended for the human race.
Unfortunately, we have not reached that ideal, there is still so much work to be done, so many walls to tear down that separate us, that oppress us. For me this means seeing each person as a child of God, beloved and precious. I may disagree with their politics, or with their actions, but to love one another as God calls us, this will lead to a beloved community becoming a reality.
This week let us renew the effort to become a beloved community where all persons are included, where love and justice prevail, and our children will thrive.

Homeless and Cooperation

2012-01-11T22:18:00.000-08:00

Today I went to a coordinating meeting for those organizations that meet the needs of the homeless in our part of the world. For me it was interesting to see the different agencies and what issues are important to each of them. The common theme was that homelessness is getting worse. For Example, veterans are becoming homeless faster than any other veterans of the past. Supporting our troops means getting together to see how we can help them adjust to life back here at home. It means bringing all our best knowledge, our best ideas, our best compassion for those who have served our country.
Churches have a big role to play, and it is time to stop arguing about who has the best church, and start finding ways to work together to meet the needs of the homeless, the addicted, the mentally ill, to name just a few who really need our help. And this starts with me, it starts with you. Just for today, think about how to bridge the divide between churches and synagogues, and temples etc. Let's find ways to agree to disagree about theology, and get on with changing the world.

The Journey continues

2012-01-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

As I begin the new year, I am taking time to rest from the end of the year celebrations and obligations. I have been asked by many, "How was your holidays?" It is hard for me to put into words everything that was a part of my experience of the holidays, and so I usually say, "I am recovering from Post Traumatic Christmas Syndrome!" But this tongue in cheek comment does injustice to all that happened, and what I took away from the events of December. As I take these few moments to reflect, I am grateful for the joy I experienced, the celebration of Christ's birth, the welcoming of new members, the food, the worship, seeing family, and friends, all of this added richness and depth to my life. I have a renewed sense of what is important, my relationship to God, to my fellow humans, and also my four legged friends. I also have taken the time to evaluate what I need to keep doing and what I can let go of as I continue the journey into 2012. Now I am looking at what goals I have for this year, stay tuned for more discussion of this process and please accept my thanks for reading this blog, and responding to it, I treasure your thoughts!
-Pastor STeve

Getting the help I need

2011-12-21T23:03:00.000-08:00

On Monday, I felt like someone had driven a spike into my sinus'. I was tired and achy, and instead of springing out of bed I rolled over and went back to sleep. I managed to roll out of bed and get ready for a lunch meeting, but came back home and went back to bed until an evening meeting. The next morning it was clear the sinus infection was not going away without help. My wife pulled out the humidifier, I called the doctor and by the end of the day I had antibiotics. Today, I am feeling a lot better and the headache is now much milder.
I am reminded in times like these, I need help to get well, I can get the rest, drink the fluids but I depend on others to diagnosis and treat my symptoms. It is not always easy for me to ask for the help, but during this time of year, I can use all the help I can get! I also want to be there for others to help them so being healthy is important.
How about you? Do you get the help you need?

Change

2011-12-15T09:26:00.000-08:00

Change is hard for me, especially when the changes I have to make come unexpectedly. There are times when I am sailing along through the charted waters of life, and all seems manageable. Then a storm hits sending me off course, and I struggle to get my bearings again. What it must of been like for Mary after she had the visit from the angels, or what Joseph must of felt when he had a dream telling him of the future. Their lives would never be the same, and neither are ours. The child they cared for and raised would become our savior, and he would be all about change, changing the world in ways that still have implications for our world. We are to keep fighting for the needs of those who are often overlooked. The poor the outcast, the oppressed, still need our love. We need to care for the world in ways that change the systems of oppression and keep the poor, poor. Jesus invites us to the ministry that always is changing to meet the challenges we face. Does your heart have room for the changes that are at your door?

Getting Ready

2011-12-13T13:01:00.000-08:00

Today I am conscious of how the days are moving along quickly, the activities are unfolding fast and I am scrambling to keep grounded. Writing is one way that I can slow down the pace of life, and reflect. Other times I can take a walk and be aware of nature, have a deep conversation with someone about what is going on in our lives, all these are ways I can keep sane. But even with my best methods there are times when life gets out of hand, and I am unable to keep up.
I come to the end of the week frustrated at all the things I did not do.
When I realize how frazzled I am, I have a choice, to stop and reconnect with my Creator, or try to push onward, and eventually breaking down,my body can only tolerate so much abuse. As I write, I realize today I need to do something to reconnect to God, to the joy of the coming of Jesus into my life. How about you? What nurtures your soul?

God does not give you anything you can't handle

2011-12-06T20:48:00.001-08:00

As a pastor this saying drives me nuts, the Bible says with God the impossible is made possible, not with me the impossible is made possible. When I am in a situation that I cannot handle, it is turning my concerns over to God, trusting in God's love and power to comfort those I care about, and trusting that God can bring good news in the midst of the crisis is how I can make it through.
God does not give you anything you can't handle is usually said to people who have more than enough going on in their life such as a health crisis, a divorce, bankruptcy, and they turn to their friends for advice and support. If someone does give you this response they assume that God is in charge of everything that happens to you. God does not want us to experience these crisis, it is often hard to know what to say, they want to comfort us, but nothing more could be discomforting, God causes my divorce? God causes me to have cancer? God wants me to experience the pain of depression?
This is not the God I believe in, the one who cares for us, mourns with us, works for our well being. Other forces cause the pain, and are often a result of others efforts to harm not heal. We ourselves are responsible for harm through the choices we make, but this is not God's doing. We have been given the freedom to make those decisions.
The world is overwhelming, and if we take seriously the fact that we become depressed, angry, anxious, this is a sign of how just hard life can be some days. This is not the life God hopes for us,desires for us.
To me to say God gives us no more than we can handle is like saying we can stop a freight train by standing in front of it. We can be run down by life, God helps me find hope in the midst of despair, resurrection in the midst of death, joy in the midst of sorrow, peace in the midst of chaos. I find the inspiration to create a different world, one in which the issues we face so huge. Steve

Ordinary people doing extraordinary things - UMC.org

2011-12-06T12:27:00.000-08:00

Ordinary people doing extraordinary things - UMC.org

For my post today, I would like you to read this article from our United Methodist news. Blessings, Pastor Steve

Who is Joseph?

2011-12-04T23:26:00.001-08:00

This week is a time to reflect on Joseph,the father of Jesus.We do not know much about him from the scripture except that he is described by Matthew, "being a righteous man" (Mt 1:19 NRSV). In those days if a woman was found to be pregnant out of wedlock, well that was not tolerated well by the community to say the least. Joseph,however did not automatically dismiss Mary in a way that would bring her pain, rather Joseph took time to contemplate another way, one that would be don quietly. Sometimes I give into the temptation to jump to quick conclusions without considering all the circumstances. Sometimes I get upset because of what I perceive to be the truth. If Joseph had considered why Mary was pregnant, and how that might have come about, he may of reached conclusions that were not true at all. Mary was unfaithful, she was lying, etc. I learn from Joseph to take time to reflect, to listen to the Spirit of God, and then act in a righteous way, a way that is just and honorable. How about you, what do you learn from Joseph?

2011-12-01T10:14:00.001-08:00

Today is World AIDS day, a time for us to focus on this important issue. We may feel the enormity of disease, how many lives are lost, how many new infections, medicines that work for some and not for others. I think of the newly diagnosed and how their lives are changed when they receive the news of their blood test. I think of those who have lived many years, who have watched as their friends die and they wonder if they are next. I think of those who have no one to talk to about what it means to live with HIV, because they are afraid to let any one know. I think of organizations that do all they can to educate and support those who are positive and those who are family members, friends. I think of the funding that supports so many vital programs. I think of the person who is making a decision right now that will lead them to being infected, who is in denial that this will happen to them.
We cannot by ourselves find a cure, or remove the stigma, or provide services, or reach the isolated, but together we can do great things. Do not let the enormity of the issue cause you to be inactive, be an active advocate, start where you are, find out what organizations are in your neighborhood, find one way to be a part of the cure, part of the care, part of the advocacy. Together we can work to change the world by our efforts joined together with others.

Dear God, on this World Wide AIDS day on which we lift up all those who live with HIV or AIDS, we pray for strength for their journey. May each one know your love for them, how precious they are to you. We pray too for those who are working with those living with this disease, thank you for the researchers, the doctors, all the staff of the various clinics and service centers around the world who are on the front lines in the caring of those living with HIV/AIDS. We pray for their families and friends, their support is vital, and so we dedicate ourselves to being a part of this support. Help us break through our resistance, our preconceived notions, our prejudice so we might bring healing a reality for those who often feel isolated by this disease. Break open our hearts so we might pour your tender loving care on all who live with HIV/AIDS, we ask this in Jesus Name, Amen

2011-11-29T12:24:00.001-08:00

The journey we take is one we need to prepare for. In reading about pilgrimages, I notice the authors talk about what they bring with them on the journey, what advice they listen to, which they ignore. When I was a boy scout I went backpacking for a week. On the eve of this adventure we emptied out our packs and our guide discussed what was important, and what wasn't. I left behind almost half of what I packed. I was glad, because after a few days, those packs became pretty heavy. I could not imagine what it would have been like if I had all the extra stuff.
In this season perhaps we can lighten our load by leaving what is unessential behind, our fears, our anxieties, anything that weighs us down. One way to release these burdens is by opening our hearts to the presence of God in our lives and in the world. Look for signs of hope. See how God is working in the world today, and build on the belief that God is with us, Emmanuel.

2011-11-28T12:10:00.001-08:00

The first week of Advent is about finding signs of hope in our world, my world. I want to make room for the message of God in this season and attempt to keep from trying to do too much. Too much means I will cause me to disconnect from the world, so I want to stay engaged, and still find time to let my soul catch up with all the activities I am doing. This means I can say no to some activities. So I need the guidance of God to see which ones are important, which ones I need to let go. This past weekend as I decorated the house, I let go of trying to do as much as I have done in the past, to keep the decorating simple, and throwing out or recycling old decorations and lights. The past week was very busy and so this week I have intentionally scheduled less to allow time to follow through on projects I had put on hold, as well as give some thought to the weeks ahead. Today, the hope I see is this less busy schedule where I can be a bit more relaxed about my schedule and allow the Spirit to refresh my soul with hope!

Moving to Sunday

2011-11-23T09:42:00.001-08:00

Now that our annual meeting is done here at the church, I am focusing on Thanksgiving and advent. I have been reading the Journey by Adam Hamilton in preparation for the theme of Advent for our church. So I wrote a poem:

Amidst the rush of Thankmas
Tucked behind the noise
The small still voice calls.

Beneath the stacks of decorations
Hidden by all the lights
The small still voice calls

Beyond blaring music
In the simple harmony of life
A small still voice calls

The voice of the prophet brings promise
the voice of the angel brings truth
The voice of Mary brings faith
The voice of Joseph brings righteousness

All echo the small still voice of God
proclaiming the good news
the arrival of Jesus
and the promise of his return!

God is with us now!
God is with us always!

-SPM-2011

2011-11-20T17:44:00.001-08:00

As I write I am grateful for the wonderful worship experience we celebrated together yesterday. We had participants representing our committees leading worship, a visual reminder of how so many volunteer so unselfishly. We dedicated our pledges and after an early low count, this week we are very close to our goal for the new year. And we were able to have some great food during our after worship pot-luck.
Now I turn to preparing for our annual meeting, called a charge conference, on Tuesday. There is much to celebrate as we remember the last year, and all we accomplished, all we lived through. There are signs of vitality as we look around, we have new people getting ready to join the church, there are new people pledging their support both financially and serving as leaders. The future looks bright as we journey together.
I have goals to improve my leadership, and invite you to set a goal to grow deeper in your relationship with God. Together, under God's guidance we can transform the world!

Take the Risk!

2011-11-19T17:16:00.001-08:00

I wonder where you will be tomorrow? As I travel to church I see people golfing, going to a shopping center, going to the gym, lining up for entrance to the fairgrounds for a special event, driving, walking, well you get the picture. People are doing many different things on a Sunday morning. I also wonder if they go to a place of worship. Maybe the service they attend are on another day or time, maybe they are going later that day, or maybe they do not go to worship. Then I wonder, what keeps them from worship, a bad experience, a lack of faith, higher priorities? And then I wonder if there is something God is calling me to do differently to reach the unchurched?
I spent a great deal of time talking to people this week, those who do not come to my church, I am listening to them, and to God's Spirit to see what I can say or do that might help them take the risk of coming to our worship service this Sunday. I don't know the answers, so I hope the dialogue will continue with those who have no church home and I might extend a word of welcome to them. For me I will be at worship tomorrow morning and invite all to join me.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-17T09:51:00.001-08:00

In my daily practice of writing in the morning, I have been taking time to write a word of thanks to those in my life. I have included people I know in my church, my family, people who I stay in touch through the internet, and people who who are strangers but whose names show up in my life. I have noticed that starting the day with this simple practice has changed my whole attitude to the day. I am much more aware of the giving of others, I am much more aware of how much I want to give.
I am not sure if I can adequately express how taking time to give thanks for people, for the day, for the guidance of God is changing me, but I can sense the change. A job coach I was having a discussion with talked about how the big mistake a job applicant will make going into an interview. The applicant will talk about how much they need the job, how it would change their life etc. However, if an applicant can be clear about what they can offer to the employer that will help them, then people see the value of the applicant becoming an important part of the work.
Sometimes I forget what I have to offer is exactly what others need. I want to be clear about my giving for the transformation of the world, and how God is calling me to give all that I can so others will be blessed.

2011-11-15T11:19:00.001-08:00

Poem for Veterans

Upon the grave I cast
a sorrowful look

My heat aching for the loss
of a soldier so brave

My mind wonders, why? how?
of the life extinguished

I pray to thank the universe
for those who serve

I pledge not to use the freedom bought
carelessly, neglectfully.

To honor the one entombed, to
Echo freedom's call for those who
live in bondage.

Thank you brave one,
Thank you soldiers all..
SPM 11-12-11

Operating in silo's

2011-11-10T16:49:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I went to a homeless summitt, to examine how we can end homelessness. One of the speakers commented that organizations often operate in silo's, that is to see only their work and focus on only what they are doing without seeing the other work of countless other folks. So the result is that city angencies do not see the work of the county agencies, who do not see the state agencies, who do not see the fedral work, who does not see the world wide work.
As those who care about this important issue we need to work with one another, and for one another. Another speaker pointed out that people who are homeless have multiple issues that need to be addressed, but they should not have to go to one place to get food another to get shelter, another to get dental work. The systems are too complicated and the persons trying to change get frustrated.
I wonder how I can help, and what I need to change in my own life so I can help those who are homeless, and work for the prevention of homelessness?

Networking

2011-11-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

This morning I attended a Networking breakfast for Walnut/Diamond Bar businesses, I was the only church represenative. I wonder if I am able to really give referals, what "business am I in?" I do know we offer services such as baptisms, weddings, counseling, preschool classes, food for the hungry, clothes for the homeless, etc. But what is the business of the church? I refer to the mission statment of the church, " To Make New Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World". Would that be a selling point for business people to referr people to us? I really struggle with how to promote our work especially when we strive to be humble. In the end, I try to be present with these business folks, to listen to their struggles, to their dreams, and see what resources they need. Perhaps it is enough for them to know I am not there to sell them anything but to be present with them in the good times and the stressful ones. What do you think?

For all the Saints!

2011-11-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

I am aware this day of the saints of my life, who gave of their love and care even when I did not appreciate or notice it. Today I want to listen to the world for the small still voice of God, to listen deeply beyond the usual chatter of the day. In my way to work I listened to the song, "You Are So Beautiful, To Me" and wondered if this was a gift from one of my saints, who said this to me before I realized it was exactly how they treated me. Perhaps then not only listening but responding to the legacy of the saints I will strive to let people know how beautiful they are.

2011-10-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

I woke up with a sense of sadness that our bible study class, Jesus and the Gospels concluded it's 30 week session last night. I loved the study because of the people who were enrolled and the discussions we had. We wrestled with what the Gospel message has to say to us in our living. At the end of each session we were asked to reflect on the question: "Do you want to become His Disciples Too?". Even after the 30 weeks I am still wondering if I say yes, what am I saying yes to? I came to a new appreciation of the radical message of Jesus to live differently, to make different choices, to keep grounded in my relationship to him. This is a challenge for me because I tend to worry about so many things, and Jesus does not call me to worry about what it means to follow, what I am saying yes to, rather to say yes and trust in him to lead me. That is a life long journey for me to take, and I am glad for the class and their insights to what it does mean to follow, to have faith.

2011-10-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

Today I am thinking about how my soul is nourished. I wrote this poem to express how I often miss seeing how God is blessing me with wisdom,

Well
There is a well here
Unseen
Untapped
Unexpressed

You and I can drink deeply
Anytime
And find our sacred voice

There is a well anywhere
Waiting
Hoping
Beckoning

You and I can drink deeply
Anytime
And find our own true voice.

SPM 7-31-07

2011-10-24T23:02:00.000-07:00

I am celebrating the prayer book 40 days of Prayer for those living with HIV/AIDS, you can click the 40 Days link at the website. I have been writing poems for most of my life, but have not really published. So it is a honor to be published in this wonderful resource (day 16) especially since working with Strength For the Journey retreats have been such an important part of my life. Those living with HIV/AIDS have taught me so much about living. It is hard to put into words, I just know I would not be the person I am today without the relationships I have developed. I hope you will take time to pray through the 40 days using this resource. Even with all the advances in medication, people still are dying, even with all the education, people still become stigmatized, even with all the warnings people still take risks with their health. My prayer is that this terrible disease will be erased from the society, but until then will continue to pray, and support those living with HIV/AIDS with all our love.

2011-10-24T11:39:00.000-07:00

Wandering through the wilderness dependent on God to lead them, the nation of Israel was on the move. In Deuteronomy 32: 11 the image of an eagle is used as a poetic image of how the people were dependent on God to care for them as they moved into the future. The people did always appreciate God for taking them out of the oppressive life in which they lived, often complaining they would rather be back to the old life, at least they were familiar with that lifestyle. I notice that as I stretch myself to grow closer to God and to the purposes of God, I often resist, I am too tired, too overwhelmed, too scared to try to change. In these moments I wonder if it is all worth it, maybe I was stuck in my life, but at least I was familiar with my routine. Ah the temptation to stay in a rut is overpowering my vision to change and grow. How about you? Do you find it hard to change, to be transformed by the complete dependence on God? I am going to stay awake to the temptations this week of staying stuck, of settling, of making excuses. Dear God, I dedicate this week to growing closer to you and to follow your call to transform the world. I pray for the strength to overcome the obstacles, and to refuse to give into the temptations of the world that distract me from your life. Amen

2011-10-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

Today is Thursday, I am aware that I missed posting yesterday, I was in a prayer meeting with other pastors of our community which was important. Most of the time I miss doing one thing because there is something else I see as important that draws my attention. However, I could chose to still make the post, to fulfill my obligations, if I was a bit more creative in how to meet the deadline. I could of gotten up earlier and posted, I could of posted the night before, I could of, but I did not. I made an unconcious decision not to value my writing as highly as other tasks. I wonder how many times I do this unconcious deciding, of prioritizing, of sometimes selling out to lower priorities just because they are more demanding at that moment in time? Just for today, I will be concious about my decisions, what I will do, what I will not do.Dear God, thank you for this day, thank you for your guidance in my daily living, I dedicate all that I do and say this day to your higher purpose of making new disciples for the transformation of the world. Amen

2011-10-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

Jesus is often misunderstood, misquoted, and accused of being misguided, missing the point, and simply missing from the crisis of life. I know because I have often been missing a connection to the true and one Jesus the Christ, the good Shepherd, the Savior of the world. To follow Jesus means to be a life long learner, to dedicate time to study, to pray , to connect. I am often guilty of ignoring my spiritual life, in the name of getting stuff done. How can I really be an effective witness in my getting stuff done if I am not grounded in the mission and call of God? Well, I can find all kinds of reasons, I got up too late, I ran out of time, I have an appointment, something urgent came up. All of these excuses and more keep me from going deeper in my faith journey. I have renewed my vow and promise to God to make sure I start each day with devotional time. I wonder what I will discover? Dear God, thank you for you abundant love and wisdom, I pray for those in the world who need care, for those who die needlessly, those who are in pain. I dedicate myself to being an instrument of your care and concern, and open myself to your Holy Spirit to guide me in all the tasks of this day, Amen

2011-10-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

I am back from vacation, and as usual work has not stopped cause I was not here! Some amazing things got done while I was gone, our church has a new parking lot, worship led by Rev. Jim and Arlene Brewster, my administrative assistant kept the office humming, the preschool had their open house/back to school night. It is a wonderful witness to the work of the church when the Pastor can be gone, and the work continues. I missed being here, yet the opportunity to celebrate a 30th wedding anniversary with my wife was a priority. We had a wonderful time in Hawaii, and had time to ourselves to talk, spend time walking and taking in the beauty of the islands. Now it is time to work. I started the routine on vacation to ground myself in the principle of D.R.I.V.E. as suggested by Michael Slaughter. D= Devotions,connecting with God before the day of work begins, R= Readiness, that is reading to promote ongoing learning, I= Investing in relationships, those people that guide, energize and challenge me, V=Vision for the future, looking at the world as God does, where are we going, how does God want us to participate in transforming the world, and E=Eating and Exercise. I have begun practicing these each day, to transform myself to be a more effective servant of God, I have also challenged our leaders to look at each of these areas and begin to ground themselves in these practices. We too often become stagnant, stuck, hopeless about the future and our role in it, however, the work of God can only be done by those committed to the mission of making New Disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. It is work that is worthy of our very best efforts.

2011-09-29T17:02:00.000-07:00

Just back from the Bishop's Covocation after being filled up with information, worship, conversation, and of course food! What do I bring back to work on, to think about after this whole concept of changing the world. The United Methodist Mission Statement is: Make New Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Tranformation of the World. When we as church folk forget that mission, that purpose for existing as a congregation, we have strayed from the path Jesus wants us to walk. We are about change because we see the hurt in the world and want to do something to help, to transform the world into a place of peace with justice. If you are in church just to get your needs met, you will never experience the fullness of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Being a follower of the way of Jesus means bringing the good news into your daily living, to allow the Spirit of God to transform you so you can transform the world, which leads to others being transformed. Are you ready to change the world?

Swept away

2011-09-21T23:20:00.000-07:00

The last two days have been very busy, I have been preparing for Bible Study, attending a prayer meeting for city pastors, participating in a men's club golf tournament, as well as house work, and taking time to talk with folks. Yet, my to do list seems to have only grown larger! All those things I said yes to meant saying no to other things. I feel the pressure of all those undone tasks burdening me. I feel swept away by the current of tasks done and undone, and I cannot seem to breathe. Til now that is, taking a moment to pause and reflect, to settle my soul in what I am experiencing, to release all of this to the Great Creator, so I can feel ready for what comes next is grace. God is waiting for me to slow all my frantic thinking, and guide me to what is really important. Dear God, I make choices every day that are important. Help me stay connected to you, even when I feel swept away, so I might stand still and be grounded in your presence. Amen

Monday: Moving towards Sunday: Matthew 21:23-32

2011-09-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

I always take the scriptures seriously, I even more take them seriously when Jesus addresses the leaders of the religious communities. I am aware of the multiple to do items on my list as I start this new week, meetings to be planned, worship to be created, studying for bible study class, visits to name but a few on my mind. In addition there are personal to dos that I need to get to as well. As I listen to the scripture for this coming Sunday, I wonder if I can keep from the trap of saying I will go and then relent, to do all the to do items on my list, especially those I have promised others I would do. I am not always able to follow Jesus clearly, to focus on being a disciple, of bringing good news when all the to do items keep dancing in my head. This week I pray for focus on being a bearer of good news, of discerning what God is calling me to do, and allowing all the noise to fade away as I work in the vineyard so I might be transformed by the Holy Spirit in all that I do. Dear God, I dedicate this week to your work. I open my heart to your Spirit to guide me to what I really need to do this week as I commit myelf to work in the vineyard. Amen

Guatemala Project Missionaries with us on Sunday!

2011-09-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

Coming up on Sunday!Sharing God’s Love since 1992- Guatemala Mission Project A Program of Interfaith Action International, a religious non-profit organizationThe Guatemala Mission Project will be sharing on Sunday the 18th of Sept 2011. Before and after church, unique items will be offered for purchase. Made out of hand-made materials; purses, scarves, jackets, jewelry, etc, will be available. We thank you for your great support of this mission project affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Our vision is for Guatemalan Mayans to have a voice in their own future. We have been working in the highlands of Guatemala with the Methodist Church, serving primarily poor indigenous persons since 1992. We have taken 20 volunteer construction teams and six medical teams.Winter 2011 Jan. 21st to Jan. 31stA mission team of 12 people replaced a home destroyed by mudslides caused by hurricane Agatha in May of 2010 and installed 60 wood efficiency stoves. The new stoves only use 30% of the amount of the wood compared to their old stoves; they protect the environment, and improve the health conditions by reducing the smoke in the homes. Summer 2011 July 8th to July 25th, 2011Two mission teams, with a total of 18 people, ages 11 to 86 worked together with local Guatemalans, replacing a home destroyed by mudslides in May of 2010 and installed 100 wood efficiency stoves in 50 individual homes. Each home that utilizes these stoves reduces their carbon foot print, similar to removing one car from the road. And improves the general family health and increases the family income. Winter 2012We will be installing more wood efficiency stoves for indigenous women and replacing a home for mudslide victims. The mission teams will be Feb 3rd thru Feb 20. Consider being part of a team. Student ScholarshipsWe have made the commitment to provide school scholarships to 72 children & youth. You may sponsor an elementary school child for only $75 a year, $100 for a middle school student, and $150 for high school equivalent. You may sponsor a particular child if you want. The scholarship provides for any school fees, books, school supplies, sometimes a school sweater, making it possible for very poor, often orphaned children to continue their education. To make this work possible, the Guatemala Mission Project visits churches in the district and conference, speaking and selling merchandise purchased from cooperatives and small family owned businesses. All proceeds from donations and sells are used to fund the mission program in Guatemala.For further information: Carol Conger-Cross, Program Director 619-248-2976 Project Email carolconger-cross@cox.net Web page: www.guatemalaproject.org

2011-09-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

Wednesday: " Our Prayer lives connect us to the rest of the body of Christ around the world, at any hour of any day.." Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Clairborne.Is there a right way to pray? Is there any wrong way to pray? Questions that I think about as I read this book. My guess is that as long as we take time to pray, and listen for God's wispers to our soul we cannot pray wrongly. And for different people prayer takes different forms, some journal, some walk and pray, some kneel, some raise their hands. The important thing is to listen for God's guidance, to empty ourselves from all the concerns on our minds and hearts, and then see how God is at work. Dear God, thank you for your Holy Spirit and the guidance you give us. Help me be aware of your presence this day and every day. Amen

2011-09-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

After taking Monday to rest up from the busy week leading up to 9/11/11, I am back at work, today I am praying with the Preschool at their chapel time.On Sunday I talked about how our Grandparents can be a source of wisdom, especially when we find ourselves trying to make sense of tragedy. The wisdom of those who have lived through many changes and difficult circumstances, can help anchor us when life seems so chaotic. I give thanks for my grandparents, for the way they cared for me, and even though they are now gone from my sight, their love stays with me. When I eat a slice of apple pie, I think of my grandmother Whitter who was such a good baker. When I have a doughnut I think of my Grandmother Marshall, who also was a bible study teacher, and faithful lay speaker. When I see a farm I think of my Grandfather Whitter, and when I paint a room I think of my Grandfather Marshall, who painted and wallpapered many homes during his work career. I have fond memories of visiting them, of them visiting us, I cherish these memories. This week I want to offer the wisdom they taught me to the world.Dear God, help me find ways of sharing your love witht the world this week. I give thanks for those who have loved me, especially my grandparents. Thank you for the blessing of wisdom and may I be wise in all my work and play this week!Amen.

2011-09-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

Friday: Our last day of the three day retreat for planning the liturgical year, from Advent-Pentecost Season. I am feeling more prepared for the year, interestingly Christmas Day and April Fool's Day are both on Sunday this coming year. I am thankful for thoughtful, creative, fun, and caring colleagues that help me discover what God is calling me to do and be as a pastor. Dear God, thank you for this time, help me stay connected to your guiding Spirit as I return to home and the responsibilities and relationships that await. Bless us all so we might be faithful to your Way in all we do and say! Amen

2011-09-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning in pacific palisades and read :You are a love songbeauty set to musicYou are a long songI have chosen you-Theresa HuculToday as we discuss the themes of Easter, Pentecost, and Sundays in Advent, I pray I will sing in harmony with God's creation!

2011-09-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, September 7, 2011, Today I attended a San Gabriel Regional Chamber of Commerce Networking breakfast and it was wonderful to see different business owners and workers come together to see how we can help one another serve the community. I met a personal trainer, a plumber, and several Doctors, all who want to offer quality service to clients. The church can be a resource to business for referels for those in crisis, those seeking to get married with counseling, and those wanting to connect with a place that lives out the mission of Jesus Christ. I then went in and picked up two chairs for our office donated by a friend of mine from college (talk about networking!) and am leaving for Aldersgate Retreat Center for a sermon planning retreat! Dear God, I dedicate to you my time, my focus, my gifts, my talents to your kingdom as I prepare for the coming year. Thank for friends who help guide me in your ways, and enable me to lead worship, and preach. Inspire us to make this world a better place where all your children can experience peace with justice. In Jesus name, Amen.

Tuesday

2011-09-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

This week we are moving towards the rememberence of 911. As I look at preparing for the Worship for Sunday, I am asking for God's guidance. I am aware of the importance of the anniversary, I think of the countless of lives that have been changed as a result, those who are related to those who perished, those who participated in recovery efforts, the 1000s of lives lost due to the wars in Iraq and other places. What can we say or do that brings honor to all of this people?
I will be asking that question and hope you will too as we move towards Sunday. What is God's word to us as faithful Christians?
Dear God as we pause to remember this week those who lost their lives may you bring the families comfort. Inspire us to renew our efforts to bring peace to a hurting and chaotic world. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.

Sunday

2011-09-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful Sunday worship experience we had today! We made the day all about celebrating working together as we serve God. I talked about my journey into the ministry and how important all the relationships I have been a part of in my life. I thanked my current leaders, and remembered those who have been there to share so unselfishly of their talents and gifts. Without them I would not be the same person I am today. I am so grateful for all who labor for peace with justice. I think I am going to find ways of continuing the thanksgiving to the important people of my life this coming week!
Thank you God for the blessings of my family, friends and strangers who have nurtured and guided me all these years. I am grateful for their love and care, the way they have challenged me to grow, and their listening when things are tough. Help me this week to find ways of honoring all of them! Amen

The rest of the week!

2011-09-03T22:48:00.000-07:00

So time goes by fast when I am working on planning for the future! I finished my preperation for our lectionary study group retreat next week. We are going through the scripture lessons for the whole year! I have the lenton season and have found a great resource for this year. I also prepared an in depth look at All-Saints Sunday, and will present that material as well. I finished the sermon for Sunday, then Friday took the day off and caught up with some reading. Then on Saturday went over to church to change lightbulbs with Joel, and cleaned up my office, went through mail that was put on the back burner while I was doing all the prep work for the retreat.
Tonight I am getting ready for Sunday, I am looking forward to a special welcome back celebration from the folks at Walnut, my 12th year with them!

Wednesday

2011-08-31T14:19:00.000-07:00

Today started with watching my friends 3 year old daughter while he attended a meeting. I am ready for my nap, but alas, preparation for Bible Study awaits, as well as a premarital wedding appointment, and of course getting ready for Sunday, the newsletter went to the printer yesterday, we await the proof to be finalized. I worked on my planning for next year's lectionary study, year B starts in Advent.

Help me o Parent of us all, to work this day with you in my heart, Amen.

Tuesday

2011-08-30T10:57:00.000-07:00

Today might bring sunshine,
Today might bring heat
Today might bring joy and laughter
or even a someone new to meet!

Today is full of possiblilities, and as I continue to work here in the office, I seek to be aware of God's presence in the present of this day!

Monday!

2011-08-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

Back in the Saddle again!
Monday is here and so I am off to work, time to get that newsletter done, the mail answered, and the mountain of papers off my desk! This is the last week of summer schedule, choir starts on Sunday, and Sunday School the following week! I am in the office with the A/C on, time for some music and work!

Dear God, as this work week continues, help me be open to your Holy Spirit, help me to share your love with all I meet this week, Amen.

Getting Ready

2011-08-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

It is time to get ready for Sunday, it occurs to me that I have spent my whole life preparing for this moment, to worship, to preach, to pray with others. I have studied, worked, rested, prayed, journaled and now I am once again at the point of being fully what God has been calling me to do and be. Ready or not here I go!

Failure

2011-08-25T21:06:00.001-07:00

As I get older, I realize that life is full of failures, times when no matter our best effort, our best thinking, our best preparation, when everything goes wrong. In fact, I think why my daughter can do things on the computer that I cannot is because she is not afraid to fail, to click the wrong link etc. I want to make sure and don't explore as much because of the fear of failure. So, now I am changing my thinking and feeling as though it is okay to fail, as long as I do not run away from the failure. I have learned to learn from failures and although this does not always keep me from making more failures!
Also, failure is not always individual, when it comes to our kids, there is universal failure, to the docs who are not sure what to do, to the lack of research, to the lack of therapy, to the failure of understanding, and as a society we do not like risk taking. As parents of exceptional children, we call out for all of these folks to risk, to try new things, to try new therapies, and it is okay if they fail, as long as they keep inventing, creating, who knows what will lead to success? We may not even see the success now, but those who follow may learn from all we have succeeded and failed at.

Still recovering from the virus

2011-08-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

I hate waking up and feeling ill. My joints hurt, my stomach is quesy and I have a lack of energy. Unfortunately the doctor can only recommend fluids and rest. I want to be able to do the work I know is waiting, but I can only manage a few things, before I am ready to rest. Pray for me, as I need patience to recover and heal.

Monday, Monday

2011-08-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

Today I am home, I have been catching up on emails and reading. Summer has zoomed by and there has been little time to let my mind and soul catch up with all the experiences this year has brought. Today I am slowing down, and since a virus has slowed me down, it is a day to drink water and rest so I can be ready for the rest of the week.

Week Goes by Fast

2011-08-20T13:06:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, I spent time in the office and worked on Bible Study for that night. I am so grateful for this Bible Study Group that is in the midst of a intensive study. The insights and discoveries of who Jesus is and what we are called to do are a part of our gathering together. And on this day I was especially glad for a group that helps me discover my place in the world.
Thursday was Parent orientation for all our preschool parents, I wrote a welcome letter and distriubuted to all our parents. I chatted with several, one family has had 3 of their children in our preschool and now their youngest is attending, the Mom tearfully said, "This will be the last year, it is going to be hard to move on". School starts this Monday, so I expect many tears from those children who have not been apart from their families before. I know in a short while these same children will not want to go home because they have made new friends and have such a great time at preschool.
Friday was rest day, a time to reflect and get some household tasks done. Then it was off to the Hollywood Bowl for music and fireworks! What a great event.
Saturday is finalizing worship and the sermon for tomorrow, and then an Angel's Game with Mercy Me performing after the game. My daughter loves this Christian Band, so it should be fun!

Strength for the Journey

2011-08-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

"Awake, awake, put on your strength" Isaiah 52:1

Camp is all about putting on my strength, being in nature, listening to the stories of campers who live with HIV/AIDS every day, the morning hikes and devotions, all of this gives me strength. As I come back down the mountain I want to be aware of the presence of God in my daily living, to be awake to the strength God provides! As I prepare for Bible study, and worship for Sunday, I want to be fully awake to God and to my brothers and sisters I walk this journey with.

Finishing up the week

2011-08-04T15:37:00.000-07:00

In three short days I will go to camp for a week, so I have been preparing by working on a prayer workshop I will be teaching. Also, today means the end of the newsletter advertising specialist who leaves us and goes to work for another church next week. I served snow cones to the whole preschool, and it was fun to see each smiling face, such angels. In a little while I go to a wedding rehersal for a wonderful couple I have gotten to know. But first a hospital call for a member who had surgery. I will say this about the day, there was not a dull moment, no time to whine or complain, just being present to the various people who I interacted. Praise God who works to bring us together to work for righteousness and justice in a chaotic world!

Wednesday

2011-08-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

Today is about networking with Chamber of Commerce members in the morning, working on a wedding for a couple from Cal Poly, to gearing up for snow cones at preschool. Tonight Bible Study. In the midst of the heat, the work of the church continues as we support those who struggle, and those who serve those who are in need.

Living with a disability

2011-08-02T14:41:00.000-07:00

I attended the San Gabriel Valley (CA) Disability coalition meeting today. I learned new things and met new people who offer many services with those living with disabilities. One of the important points of the meeting was to remind us all, whether we are living with a disability ourselves, or advocate for someone who does, or offer services to the disabled, there are many different types of disabilities, from the person who is in a wheelchair, who has a very visible type of disability, to those who live with unseen disabilities, cognitive in nature. My daughter for example, looks like a typical young adult, but once she starts talking, you notice her speech delay. Sometimes those who have the more hidden disabilities can be treated with impatience and bullying. The last time we traveled we took a plane which is very full, and so we opted to board when the airline announced boarding for anyone who needed a bit of extra time. My daughter does need extra time due to her hidden disability but I wondered if the people watching us board understood this. I wonder too if there have been times I have been impatient with those who might not look like someone who has a disability, perhaps I have treated others more harshly than I might if the disability was apparent. How about you? Perhaps next time someone is acting a bit different than our expectations we might wonder if they too have a disability and we can be a bit more patient.

Spring Floods and Pastor's Schedule

2011-08-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday our church took a special offering for those who have experienced losses during the spring flooding. We do so because we care about those who are struggling in other parts of our country,people who are just like us, people whose stories have touched our hearts. Today I worked with our advertising salesperson who solicits businesses in our area to advertise in our newsletter. Our these two things connected? Well, by supporting our church newsletter, we can put out the word of what our church is doing. This news is good for existing members, so they can plan to participate in the programs and business of the church so we can be the best stewards of what God has entrusted us to do. And it helps us do the work of God in our neighborhood and world. In sponsoring our newsletter the businesses free us from the expenses related to the publication of the newsletter, and so we can use our resources for ministry and mission. In this way our businesses are our partners in changing the world! I wonder as I go about my work this week if I will be able to see how those in my life partner with me and others so we can change the world for Christ? Pastor Steve

Pastor's Steve's schedule the week for August 1

Monday; Office, Trustees Meeting
Tuesday: Queen of the Valley coalition for the homeless,Meet with Rev. Jimmy Nih Office
Wednesday: Networking breakfast, Office and Bible Study
Thursday: Office, Wedding Rehearsal
Friday: Afternoon Networking
Sat. wedding,
Sunday: Worship, Bible Study, Leave for Camp (August 7-13)

Legacy

2011-07-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

What do we leave behind?

Our legacy, what we gift to the generation that follows us, is important to the world.
The bible is written so we might learn about how to practice what is important. How we make decisions with our time and money have implications for our living so those decisions are important. Lives can be changed, the world can be changed by how we live. Recently, one of our retired pastors from this Annual Conference died. Rev. Charles Dennis was someone I knew a little when I came into the conference back in 1984. But I came to know him much more intimately, when he was the tour organizer for the Journey’s of Paul pilgrimage my wife Linda, and I went on several years ago. I am grateful that Rev. Dennis chose to spend some of his retirement years, organizing these trips, because going to see Ephesus, Patmos, Athens and many of the places the Apostle Paul had visited in his journey’s was a life changing moment. To walk where Paul walked, to learn more about his ministry to read the scriptures in the places he refers to in his letters, all of this was inspiring.
I remember one important moment when we were by the same river in which Paul Baptized Lydia (Acts 16:11-15). We took a moment to reflect on the scripture and Rev. Dennis scoped some water from the river and poured it on my head saying, “Remember your Baptism”. I cannot really explain in words what that meant, to be connected by the ancient rite of baptism to a great company of saints, all I can say is it was a powerful moment. I will always be grateful for Rev. Dennis and his commitment to lead others in this pilgrimage, one of many he led.
I hope I make choices that help others come to know God, in the same powerful way I experience not just in Philippi, but here in Walnut. I hope by the words I speak, the actions I take the decisions I make, others will find God. I know there are moments when I fail, when I act not out of love, but out of fear and anxiety. I know there are times when I lose my cool, and focus, I know I do not live up to what God hopes I will do. Yet, I cannot give up, I feel the call to strive for making a positive difference in the world. I just hope that in my good moments others find a path to God.

Wellness and the Abundant life

2011-03-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

I am using the theme: The Jesus Prescription for a Healthy Life during lent. The theme is built around John 10:10, I came that they may have life and have it abundantly".
We are following Howard Clinebell's book; Wellness and the seven paths of focus that he suggests:
Enrich your spiritual life
Empower your mind
Love your body
Nurture your relationships
Commit your work to God
Take time to play
Cultivate a healthy planet
I believe God wants us to have abundant life. As I watch the news and read the blogs of those from Japan, I think back to the words of President Obama who said we sometimes have events that remind us how precious and how fragile life is. My life is a precious gift from God and I want to live as fully and joyfully as possible every step of my journey here on earth. We cannot always control or predict what forces will change our circumstances, but we can control how we respond, what decisions we make to live well. I pray for those in Japan who are enduring such terrifically difficult circumstances, I raise money to send to them, and I pledge to live abundantly knowing that in some small way my choices impact the health of the planet. Won't you join us in this pursuit?

The Month of love

2011-02-01T15:56:00.001-08:00

February is often referred to as the month of love, since we celebrate Valentine’s Day. We see stores decorated for this holiday, and many advertisers will be promoting the spirit of giving. In fact, our church is taking orders for flowers and See’s candies that you may purchase for that special person in your life. For me it is an opportunity to think about how love is present in the world, not just the romantic, tickle your toes sort of love, but the kind of love the hymn above talks about. I mean the love for those who hate you, the love for those who are suffering, or the love for the hungry, the harder kind of love. Love is not always easy; often we have to work hard to love others. We put ourselves at risk of being hurt if our love is not returned, or if it is taken for granted. Love for those who we cannot see, but hear about, those who live in different circumstances than ours takes effort to understand them and the love they need.
Valentine’s day is not just for lovers; it is also a day to celebrate love, and those who love even when it is hard to do. Consider giving the persons you admire a gift of love this Valentine’s day, a word of thanks, flowers perhaps, candy maybe, let’s make this a month to honor the presence of those witnesses to God’s way.
Pastor Steve

Matthew 5:8

2011-01-27T14:47:00.000-08:00

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

I play golf for those shots that are so pure, the ball goes in the direction I envisioned it going, the distance I was planning on, and the feeling that yes, this one shot is perfect. Sometimes I have that experience in worship, when the words come so easily, the point of the scripture becomes crystal clear, and their is a synergy between the congregation and me, it is a holy moment a pure worship moment. I think of this passage in that light, when I am pure in heart, it is a moment of deep connection to God, and to the world, it is a holy blessing. In that moment, all seems right with my life, and with the world. I live for those kind of experiences, and each time I come away with a sense of gratitude.
I am also reminded there are many other kinds of moments, times when I can't hit the golf ball anywhere close to the green, or fairway, times when worship seems to be going all wrong and the words weight I speak seem so disconnected and foolish. There are times in life when I feel all out of sorts, no matter how hard I try.
So I see this condition of being pure as a gift, a pure gift, if you will from God, these holy moments are a gift, given freely by a blessing God. Even in the times when I feel impure, God's gift purifies me, and makes me whole once again, restores my soul, inspires me all over again.
No matter where I find myself in life, this experience of seeing God is always possible, because God is forever blessing us, and making us pure, making life a pure blessing.

Matthew Cont.

2011-01-26T12:02:00.000-08:00

Wednesday for me is photo class time, I am learning about website design for photographers and lighting techniques. My mind is often overwhelmed by all the new information I get in one class. I struggle with learning the language of the computer and how to figure out how to do the things I want it to do. I often become frustrated and confused. However, the teachers here at the photo center are very patient, and because we have such a diversity of knowledge in the class, I know I fit right in.
I am blessed by new learning.
Sometimes the blessings I receive are not easy or smooth, often I have to work through my emotions to find the blessing. I am glad for my classes and the lessons I learn.

Matthew 5:1-12, Blessed

2011-01-25T09:49:00.000-08:00

When I am poor in spirit, I do not feel blessed, I feel alone, depressed,and stressed. And if the passage stopped there I could feel a sense of abandonment. Where is God in the midst of my suffering, ah, read on...Blessed are those who mourn, they will be comforted. Not maybe, but will be. I cannot always know what the future will hold, in fact I was just saying to one of our preschool staff:"Those who care about the world are sensitive to the suffering of the world all of our lives". Sometimes it is others we care about that suffer, that mourn. How are they comforted? By our caring for them, as the Spirit leads us. This is a great honor and sometimes a great burden, a part of the work of blessing the world as we have been blessed.

Choices and Micah 6:1-8

2011-01-24T14:54:00.000-08:00

I get real tired when I go shopping, it doesn't matter whether it is grocery shopping, mall shopping, shopping on ebay, it all makes me tired. I have come to realize it is because of all the choices, and making choices tires me out. I am not saying I don't appreciate the choices, or that there are simply too many and someone ought to do something about it, I just mean for me choices take work. I want to make the right choice, I want to have the satisfaction of making good choices that lead to long term benefits, I want to reduce the harm I might do on others if I make the wrong choice, and I want to maximize my resources to make the best choice. So I consider the choices, I work past my first instincts cause sometime advertisers can fool my brain into making the wrong choice. I think about the choice, do I really need any one of these choices or maybe I can live without the item I consider. Maybe there is a better price, a better option I have not considered. So, when bombarded by many choices, I tend to shut down my brain for repairs! I sometimes never make a decision because I get stuck in that considering mode. Sometimes this is okay, but most of the time pressure builds until I cannot bear it and I make a choice, sometimes good, sometimes so so, but I chose.
When it comes to faith, many choices come to me in how I spend my time in prayer, study, and service. It is often hard to chose and so I spend time considering but don't seem to be able to make a decision, and feel I miss opportunities as a result of spinning my wheels.
This year, I am tired of spinning, I want to be able to make more decisions and so I have given up on trying to make more decisions than my brain can handle all at once.
I am tracking my time finding out what exactly I do, and then see if these practices are bringing me closer or further away to God and living as a disciple. It is not fun being conscious of my choices, I see how I spend more time standing in the same place trying to decide, than actually acting. Or I see myself acting without focus and accomplishing nothing but expending energy. How about you? As I think about the the simple reflection of Micah: "O Mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" I want all my choices to reflect that I am following this call.

Jesus' baptism

2011-01-04T14:58:00.000-08:00

The weather has turned from dark and gloomy, to bright and cheerful. The mountains are filled with snow and my heart is filled with joy! Or is that the coffee talking?
No, it really is joy, joy over being able to view the beauty of God's creation from my office window, joy as I hear the preschool children playing outside in the cool crisp air, and joy over being able to sit and study God's Word in a comfy office. I am thinking about the baptism of Jesus and in Matthew's version of the story, Jesus goes to John to be baptized and John thinks Jesus should baptize him instead. John wants to yield to the power he sees in Jesus. But Jesus wants to blaze a trail that others can follow, to provide a way for others to find a way to participate in being blessed by the Spirit, and working for transformation. Jesus is blazing a trail in the wilderness of life for others to find their way. The signs are there, as we walk the trail of our lives, Jesus has left signs so we can find our way, lighting the path when it is dark and gloomy, so our hearts might once again be filled with joy.

Mond%

2011-01-03T11:10:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, well except for the rain, and the cold it is a good morning, oh, and except for the problems voiced yesterday during prayer concerns, it is a good morning, oh, and those tasks that await me now that the holidays are done, a huge pile of stuff to go through, with the exception of those, and oh yeah, those things I should of done last month and now drag into this month, I think it is still a good morning. Oh, the golf game I was planing on playing was canceled cause of the rain, and I have not figured out why I am not feeling 100% yet, is it still a good morning?
Well, the church is dry today! No more leaking, the preschool is back in session and the rain has made a dent in our drought situation and the mountains will look great once the clouds lift, and I received good news from my friends on facebook, and I had time to read a bit today and my daughter's birthday went went yesterday, and the tea tastes really good and I am getting to plan for the month and now anticipate all that will unfold this month. Yes, it is a good morning, even given all those challenges which can cause me to forget all the gifts of this day. Thank you Lord, for the gift of this new day and all the blessings there in.

Not Rushing off

2010-12-22T08:52:00.000-08:00

How many ads on my email, facebook, twitter pages tell me to hurry up and rush right in for the last minute deals? Too many to count. But it doesn't matter I am rebelling against all of those messages, I refuse to rush anywhere. The weather is rainy, the roads flooded, so on a practical note, it is not safe to rush about on the roads right now. However, the other reason is that it is against my religion. I am not saying shopping is against my religion, but rushing through this time of Advent is. Christmas is a great time to celebrate the birth of Christ, and how his life changed the world. So, I am spending more time thinking, meditating and celebrating that gift more than worrying about rushing right in to my nearest mall to buy something. Of course it is true our family is not giving very many gifts this year due to a recent vacation where we spent money on having a great time. So there is that practical side of the season I do not feel as much pressure about. But I have also been giving people smaller thoughtful gifts, to tell them how much I appreciate them and their relationship. I am so blessed with friends and family who enrich my life, who challenge me, who care for me, and I for them. What I wanted more than anything this Christmas was time, time to spend with those who are important to my life, time to express my thanks to them. As the rain pours outside, I want to take the time to pour my heart into those relationships, for they are the gifts that last my whole life through.

Comfort Ye

2010-12-01T15:25:00.000-08:00

For these next couple of weeks I am leading a Sunday School class on the scriptures contained in "The Messiah" by Handel. I am struck on this World AIDS day of the command found in this particular scripture and used by Handel in a very moving recitative for tenor. In my work with people who are living with the reality of a HIV+ or AIDS I find that comfort defines the work. I comfort those who have been dismissed by their families, congregations, work, friends, and left alone. I comfort those who have friends or family members who have not put up walls and want to be of comfort to those they care about. I comfort those who hear the statistics and wonder who is the voice calling in the wilderness for the rights of those suffering.
We celebrate the birth of Jesus and what his presence means for us in this month. I believe Jesus brought comfort, especially to those who are so often are uncomfortable to care for. On this World AIDS day, I challenge myself, the world to bring comfort to those who are suffering those who are considered holy in Jesus' eyes, those who are looking for hope, love , peace and joy in the midst of the struggle to be whole.
I include a link to Linda Bales sermon, which speaks to this issue and who inspired me to write!

My Friend Bill/ Sermon for 11-21-10

2010-11-21T12:04:00.000-08:00

The other day as I was paying for lunch, the most extraordinary event occurred. As I reached in to pull out a twenty, the one-dollar bill in my wallet started talking to me!
“Hey there, Steve, I hope you are not going to use me cause I am all tired out!” After I recovered and scanned around to make sure it was not a ventriloquist getting a laugh, I asked, “ Tired from what exactly?” The dollar bill said, “ I have been traveling around quite a bit this year, ever since someone put me in the offering plate in your church”. Still not believing this dollar bill was talking to me and expecting to wake up at any moment, I nevertheless pursued the conversation,
“So where have you been?” The dollar bill said, “First, I went to the bank, some teller named Jim Moran put me in the night depositary, and I awaited my next assignment. The other bills I came with were counted and soon we were off on our new assignments, I know some went to the electric company, some to the water company, those were all the big bills, but me, I went first of all to a place called Pasadena, where a bunch of United Methodists work, conference center I believe” I said, oh, I have been there, a nice place to visit!” “Yeah”, the dollar bill answered,” I met other dollar bills who arrived from all over Southern California and Hawaii, even Guam was represented. We were counted again along with everyone then we were off again. Some bills went to paying staff salaries, others went to pay the electric company, some went to summer camp at Wrightwood, and others went back to Hawaii to a university campus to help a campus minister there provide devotional materials for the students. Bill paused (I called him Bill because by now we had formed a intimate relationship) then went on. Some bills did not go so far at first, some of us stayed in the Conference center for a bit, and I was glad for the rest it had been a very hectic trip so far, so many new people, and so many new experiences. The center was such a busy place, letters and packages going in and out, people busy working on computers, talking to all kinds of visitors, and praying. That Bishop, she has that group praying about everything, and anything. And you know, after prayer decisions were made, and that is when I received my new assignment”. I asked, ‘so what was that?” ‘Well by George, I was shipped off to a place called Africa University. It was a long trip, but once I was there, I joined other bills from all around the world to help Students who are from all over Africa. I saw students there studying and singing and praying and even volunteering for the AIDS hospice that tended to people right outside the campus door. I did not stay long there, I moved right along because the Students needed school supplies and medical supplies for their mission work, soon I was shipped off to a manufacture of medical supplies in Kenya. “Well, “ I said, “You must have been able to get a rest then?” “Oh, no,” Bill said, no sooner than I arrived I went away with one of the workers who could buy a whole days worth of food with me at the market for her family. Soon I found myself being put into another offering plate where the supermarket owner went to church. “Oh dear”, I said, “I suppose you started all over again!” “You got that right”, Bill said, “Soon the church was sending me with a missions coordinator for all of Kenya back to New York City for an important training for missionaries. I was back in the states, and wouldn’t you know it, I was only there for a moment soon I was sent on a mission trip to Mexico with someone who was building a church there. Once I was there, I met missionaries from Southern California who had come to help build the church. They invited the pastor of the church to come to Annual Conference in Redlands California and share the good news of the work going on in Mexico. And wouldn’t you know, I went along to help pay for the trip there. “ “Well, I said, that was back in June, I am sure you have been able to rest up since then?
“Are you kidding? “ Bill said. “ Since then I was back on the local scene, I ended up at Colby camp to help with the rebuilding so summer camp in 2011 can meet there again, I went up to Strength for the Journey camp at Cedar Glenn in San Diego and then from there went to Young Adult camp at Lazy W. I went to a food pantry at the Holman United Methodist Church, and eventually ended up at some bicycle factory. They were shipping out bicycles for pastors who needed transportation. I can’t tell you all the places I have been, I get tired just thinking about it”. “ Wow”, I finally said. “ You are a very busy dollar bill, you have been so many places, and I hope you can rest up during Thanksgiving?” Bill sighed a very long sigh, “No, I am afraid not, my travels are never done, but you know what would help?”
“No,” I answered, “What would help?” Well, there are a lot of my friends and relatives, other dollar bills, and our bigger cousins the 20’s and 50’s who are all rested up, they have been ready to work for a long time, but they are kept hidden away. They have been unused for so long, just accumulating interest, but they are hoping for a chance to get out there and make a difference! “ “Okay,” I said, “ I ‘all put out the word, and we will see what we can do this year!” I paid my check, and left Bill there with a few of his friends, for my waitress as a thank you for her service.
Then I went to my doctor too see why dollar bills were talking to me!
We do celebrate on this day, the opportunities we have had to give with all our hearts to make this church and this world a better place. We celebrate our connection to ministries and missions all across the world, and our ministry right here in Walnut. We give thanks for all our relationships that have been so vital to our lives, we celebrate our water leak finally being repaired!
And when we celebrate all the ways we have been able to follow God this past year, of all the ways we have have received so much more than we have given, we celebrate all the moments of God’s grace and how the Holy Spirit has worked in our lives this past year. The times when we have found new energy for practicing our faith, times when we grew closer to one another, times when we met challenges upheld by the grace of God. When we celebrate our past, I believe we are given strength for the future, whatever it might hold.
This past year, not all has gone according to plan, and there are times when I have failed to do what I needed to do, what God was calling me to do. There are times when I saw others get caught up in the temptations of this life, and ignore their calling to bring grace into the world. There are goals that I had hoped to achieve, but fell far short of, and I am sure if I went around the church today, we could spend some time talking about those failures. The good news is that God forgives us even before we ask, and frees us from the weight of sin to go boldly into the future and practice grace.
So as we do let’s keep in mind our Steward ship motto provided by the Finance committee, and change the wording just a bit so we can use it as our call to follow God in the coming year.

Reunion

2010-10-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

Maybe ifs, should ofs, could ofs all
Emotions from the decade boil
Deep inside our spirits gall
We wonder: Were our efforts worth the toil?

yes our discussions do reveal
our strife did touch a life or ten
When our memories we do unseal

The best now cools our doubt
Raining laughter douses our angst

We see now as we look back
How love did work in ways so coy
Carried us forward to bravely act
Creating precious moments of glorious joy

This day we sing "God Be With You,Until me meet again"
Keep us, guard us, God of love forgiver of Sin
Bring us home where our minds, hearts and souls can mend
Carrying forward all lessons learned here at Union!
SPM October 17, 2010

Different is Good

2010-10-19T17:40:00.000-07:00

A different way of speaking
of Standing
of sitting

Who sticks out in the normal crowd?

A different way of thinking
A different way of writing
A different way of socializing

Who does not know the right rules?

A different way of playing
A different way of working
A different way of relaxing

Who does not blend in?

We look
We act
We sound
We smell
We hear
Differently!

But we are all the same

We breathe the same air
We taste the same water
We feel the same sun
We hear the best of life
We are all part of creation

No better, no worse, than another

SPM -2009

Inclusion

2010-10-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

Recently I read an article, referred by a fellow clergy person who said to read it with an open mind. The article was on church growth and the failure of some churches to grow because their preoccupation with homosexual rights. The article then quoted how a Hispanic pastor who went on record in support of same sex relationships which caused quite an uproar in churches in Central America, to the point where that denominations churches were held as suspect for supporting this pastor, and rights for homosexuals.The article then went on to say the church is shrinking while other churches who have taken rigid stances against homosexual rights are growing, so we need to leave this issue behind.
My conclusion is much different, is it not shame that there are those who think there are those in the world who are not worthy of God's love even when Jesus promises that we all will be included in the kingdom due to God's grace, not due to anything we do or not do? I am so saddened by the violence done in the name of Jesus and especially when it comes to those who happen to born with a different sexual orientation than mine. Who are we to judge when it is Jesus who will judge, and how many suffer needlessly because they are hated for their sexuality, thrown out of churches, or even killed? Why can't we take a stand and say this hatred is contrary to God's love? Why do we chose to remain divided so the power of God cannot work to bring our world closer to peace? I remain as always confused about why we allow this issue to be a preoccupation when so many die of starvation, from war, from HIV/AIDS, are abused, and are striving to live. Anytime we say someone is not worthy of God and another believer is wrong to include this person, I believe God sheds a tear. I wonder is this being open minded enough?

Strength for the Journey Camp

2010-08-16T15:17:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from Strength for the Journey Retreat for people living with HIV/AIDS. I serve as the spiritual team leader for the camp and was privileged to have served with a wonderful staff who provided leadership for the camp. The camp was started 18 years ago, as a way of providing unconditional love and care for all those seeking strength for their journey. Some are open to talking about God, some already belong to a faith community, some are looking for a home to live out their faith, and others are not sure if they can trust God. I was able to lead worship with the other Spiritual team members, talk one on one with those seeking for direction for their faith, provide workshops on theology and lead a small group.
I am always so humbled by the stories of the campers and staff who have struggled to live with this horrible disease. They teach me so much every year, I feel so blessed honored that they would open their hearts and pour out what questions they have about God.I am troubled by the stories of how when their place of worship found out about their diagnosis, withdrew any support or care. The stigma of having HIV/AIDS is alive and well, even after all this time. I feel so angry, so depressed, so startled by this shunning, I am reminded of how lepers were treated, how those who are different are treated with suspicion and hatred. This is not an attitude unique to the issue of HIV/AIDS, in many ways those who are different than what is considered the norm are often ridiculed, excluded, abused, and even killed. I believe God sheds an abundance of tears for any part of creation that is disrespected, abused, and violently neglected. I also believe we can make a difference to those who are hurting, to a world that is in chaos. God's power can overcome abuse, neglect, war, hatred, stigma, if only we turn to God for guidance and wisdom. I also believe since we are all God's creation, all are loved by God, with no exceptions. So if we could treat one another as God does, as precious, I wonder what the world would look like?
Thanks to all the campers and staff of Strength for the Journey 2010! You are my hero's and heroines!

Yes Man!

2010-08-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

Our family has not watched many movies in the past year, so we took advantage of a deal to subscribe to HBO and record those we have missed on our DVR. I am enjoying seeing these movies, some more than others. I am thinking about the last one, Yes Man, with Jim Carrey. If you are like me and miss the movies when they come out in theaters, I would recommend this particular film. Yes there are typical Carrey moments, when he tends to look a bit out of control, but the message of saying yes, so your life will be open to new possibilities and joy, is one I can get behind. I wonder as I reflect on my life, how often I say no, no to experiences, to opportunities, to service. As someone who lives with chronic depression, it is a family genetic thing, I realize that my depression often says no to life. That sounds a bit weird, so let me explain. When I am depressed, I feel vulnerable vulnerable vulnerable and susceptible to criticism that will feed my self criticism about who I am. Also, I feel disappointed because I place high expectations on people or events, and when they disappoint, I feel more depressed. Often my depression manifests as anger, and when I am feeling angry I do not want to be with those who I am angry with. If the anger is self directed, I don't feel like I deserve to be with people until the anger is gone away. I can easily abandon those things that keep the depression from life, writing, praying, spending time with friends, enjoying my family. I often say no to these life fulfilling things, no it does not make sense, but that is how depression works for me.
In the movie, Carrey's character says no, spends time alone, has a failed relationship that he still grieves over, friends he says no to when they invite him for drinks, or a meal etc. That all changes when he starts saying yes to every request, and despite his hesitancy, finds that saying yes does lead to some very good experiences, connects him to people who enrich his life and takes him directions that fill his life with joy.
I wonder how many of us say no to life, and no to God when we are asked if we will help create a world that is more compassionate, more just, more loving? I wonder if we say no too much, and deny ourselves the fullness of God's joy. I wonder if we live too much in fear of what might go wrong rather than trusting in God?
These are questions I am living with and look forward to discovering with you how to say yes more often!

Retiring

2010-07-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

Our church secretary,Julie, is retiring and taking some time to travel. As I reflect on our working relationship, I find myself grieving the loss of her presence in the office. I am so grateful for the time we have worked together to meet the needs of this congregation. Working as a church secretary is not for the faint of heart, it takes a perfect blend of compassion and skills to fulfill the multiple tasks that are required to succeed in this position. Julie gave her heart to the work, carefully attending to the various concerns of people who called or emailed or walked in our door. So often her caring attention to the sometimes overlooked details, made each event each worship service a better experience.
She put up with my quirks and helped me be a better pastor, and a better person, because of her loving attention to the needs of others. Her ministry made coming into the office a real joy, and allowed me to spend more time in the community and attending to the needs of others. I will miss her smile, her gentle spirit and her insights.
Fortunately, Julie remains with us as a member of the church, and so I will continue to see her and be able to share in ministry with her.
Thank you Julie for your careful attention to the work of the church, for enduring through all the demands made of you, I will miss working with you, the preschool will miss working with you, the church will miss your work, yet we all look forward to seeing you, walking with you as members of the same family in Christ!

Cancer Survivor

2010-07-05T14:53:00.000-07:00

Melanoma Skin Cancer
Little did I know when growing up and getting sun burns as sort of a badge of honor, would I be diagnosed with a melanoma. Fortunately, I see my dermatologist on a regular basis and when I had a patch of skin that seemed suspicious, he was able to diagnosis and treat it by removing the cancer in a simple office procedure. I feel fortunate that there has been no reoccurrence. However, I have not educated myself very well about Melanoma until I participated in the American Cancer Society's Relay for life in Walnut. I heard stories about how how Melanoma if untreated can enter the body and there is no cure for when that happens. All of sudden my easy encounter with cancer became very serious. Now I am paying attention to making sure I am using sunblock, stay out of the direct sun, and wear clothes that protect me.
Emotionally, I have not really thought of myself as a cancer survivor, especially when I see how devastating can be to others. But the more I thought about it I realized I benefited by early detection and if more of us did self exams, and paid attention to our bodies and the warnings they give us, perhaps more people would find cancer earlier and have a head start in treating whatever cancer they find. Ignoring the signs, staying away from Doctors, can be decisions that lead to much more serious implications.
I wear my survivor t-shirt with thanksgiving that I was so fortunate to have a good relationship with my doctor, I was educated enough about skin cancer to know that spot on my skin was not normal, and get the support I needed after treatment. If you have any suspicions, I hope you too will seek out advice from your doctor, and find the support you need for what ever the news is.

A poem for the grads!

2010-06-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

Dear Graduates
On this day in 2010
Your life is about to change again
No longer under the protection of those who have taught you,
You will need now to apply all to the future new.

A lifetime of work to learn the basic tools
This will serve you after you leave school

English, math and science, history too
Will be used in good times and the blue

This is a joyful time to celebrate all you have done
The finals, papers, homework and test fun
Now behind you, now you can get a tan in the sun.

But, let me warn you now,
Life is not always a celebration, wow!
Events and people will kick you hard, POW!

You will be tested again and again,
Your have a choice with which to begin
Will you be force for healing
Or will you hurt others sending them reeling?

Will you love with all your heart
Will hate from you soul depart?
Will you care for the stranger
The weak, the child, without anger?

God calls you, yes you,
To answer the question who are you, who?
Are you the one who will pray
To see if you can bring joy in this day
Or will you be the one who causes destruction?
Will you listen for the instruction,
Of saints, friends and the Spirit Holy,
Or will you choose spirits in a bottle lowly?
Will drugs be your choice of high
Or will you seek God of sea and sky?

All these choices will define who you are
Showing others your true nature.

There will be no assignments from teachers
Only support from fellow seekers
When you choose you will never be alone out there
Your church, your family will offer care
As you travel down life’s crooked path.

Even if you were bad at math
Could not write a perfect paragraph,
Or remember who invented the telegraph

As you graduate this day
And go to work for pay

God’s Spirit, our love, will remain steadfast
As you take up a new task

Where ever the road may lead
Let me plant this seed,
Choose to walk with God
Walk with Jesus
Walk with the Saints
Walk with us
Allow all the blessings to enter you soul
And your life will be blessing to all.
No matter what problems befall.

SPM June 5, 2010

Nashville and the Flood

2010-05-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

We just returned from Nashville from the Festival of Homiletics, a time of immersion in worship, music and fellowship. Being there so close to the floods that impacted the area on May 2-3, I had the opportunity to witness the some of terrible devastation, hear the stories of those who lost homes, lives.
So often being immersed is used as a positive thing, but being immersed in flood waters is messy and toxic. So using this insight from my wife, I wrote a poem that contrasts these two ideas.

Water
Water, clear, pure, shinning in the light.
Water, muddy, toxic, flooding in the dark.
Water contained, managed, purified,
Water wild, uncontrolled, escaping,
Water flows in us, flows in the world
Sometimes uninterrupted,
Sometimes channeled,
Water we cannot live without
Can sometimes cause death
Both reminders of the power of the one who created water.
SPM 5-22-10

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-08T23:41:00.001-07:00

Mother’s Day 2010

We live in a world full of threats
People, events, which cause upset
Waking up sometimes with dread
We feel if not for a bit of luck we could be dead.

We live in a world full of love
People events, which at our hearts tug
Waking up sometimes with abundant hope
We feel the blessings, wrapped in a protective coat.

On this Mother’s Day Sunday in church
We pause to give God thanks
Honor our families
Dare to believe in the promise.

We are not alone no matter what life brings,
Our treasured companions
Steady our nerves, make our soul sing.

Some on this day are mothers for the first time
And for the first time some have said goodbye,
All seeing life differently than before

Families come with all kinds of differences
Some sad, some fun, some easy, some tearing apart,
Families can also be a place where righteous and peace kiss each
Other,
All called to practice peace
To be a safe harbor
Amidst all the fierce passions
Causing war all around.

The task might be hard, huge, impossible
The resources so inadequate
God seems so unapproachable

In those confusing, dangerous, burning moments
We need to rely on the creative, unending, breathtaking
Lord all-powerful
Drawing upon the Spirit to inspire us to love, no matter what.

On this day, we give thanks for all who have chosen the path of peace,
Who have given their every last precious drop of care
Those who stand firm in uncertain times
And have passed on such wisdom and
warnings:
Brush your teeth
Be careful
Don’t run with scissors
Make sure you go to the bathroom before you get in the car
Brush your hair
Pick up after yourself
Time to get up, go to bed, take a break, get back to work
Go outside and play
Eat your vegetables
Let me kiss it and make it better
Here let me do that for you
I am proud of you
I love you.

Help us O Mother God to
Love steadfastly
Trust you deeply
Care for one another peacefully

Help us to protect each other from harm
To find ways of transforming our world
From a dreadful place to a glorious home

Help us to plant seeds of hope
In our daily adventures
To allow hate to die from inattention
Help us to turn again, and again, and again towards your light
Allowing your arms to hug us

Help us to listen respectively to the concerns of others
Breathing compassion in all our actions.

All these things we pray on this Mother’s day, Amen
SPM 2010

Father of a child with a Disablity

2010-04-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

I sort of hate that title, a "child with a disability". Instead I wish we could recognize that we all have unique qualities that do not always reflect what is normal. I hate even more the title "Mentally Retarded" and hate it when people call each other "Retarded" as a put down. What if we turned that phrase around and it was a positive label to call someone: Wow, your love, you hug, your smile, your joy, your simplicity, your faith, your concern, your work, your play, your life is just like someone who is Mentally Retarded, yes that good!
I have a child who has a designer set of chromosomes, which makes her unique and often I can judge someones authentic caring by how they treat her. So many can talk about how to care for someone, how to love, and can care for "normal" people that way, they can even have pity for someone less fortunate, but to authentically care for someone who is does not fit others definition of normal, means treating them as 'normal', no more no less. It may take a bit of extra care to listen to my daughter's speech, because she has low muscle tone and it is hard for her to pronounce certain words, it takes extra patience because she does not always process information as fast as those of us with college degrees, and it may take extra guidance when she is unable to make a decision cause she just isn't sure, and it may take extra kind of assurance when she gets afraid, sudden noises startle her easily, and it might take extra care to help her understand since she has gaps in her intellectual understanding and function, and it might mean helping her stretch a bit further cause she can be lazy, but what if we practiced that sort of extra with everyone we meet? Maybe we could learn to understand one another better, help one another better and make a better world together? I just hate it when all we seem to be good at is divide one another, put down one another, commit acts of violence toward one another. My faith teaches me there is a different way, one in which we can be the beloved community, if we just take a little extra time and effort, or in some cases extraordinary amounts of time and effort. I love it when you and I can care for one another with abundant love! It is what I have learned from my child with a disability, we can if we only want to.

Easter Vigil

2010-04-03T14:48:00.000-07:00

Today is the day to prepare for Easter for us Pastors. I am putting together slides for the worship with the scriptures I am using: Psalm 118: 1-2, 14-24 and Acts 10:34-43 for me this year. I had some fun too, as there is a huge Hot Rod and Classic car show here today. I am following Molly the Owl and the drama of her owlets as I type and the sun is out so I am enjoying the beautiful weather.
I can see next door to the church we live next to, the original United Methodist building, which was sold to an independent church, and they have been over there all day bringing lilies, and folding chairs for their outdoor 6am Sunrise Service and so I am reminded I am not the only one preparing, and it is not only pastor's but all kinds of folks who are getting ready. In some parts of the world Easter has already begun in fact.
I am simply awed by the connection all those who celebrate Easter together this weekend. This year I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to be with the same congregation for the tenth Easter together, I have learned so much from serving in this place.
I am mindful of putting aside all the tasks I need to get in to wait for the Spirit to guide and move me to put together the sermon. It is such a great responsiblity and priviledge to preach, and tomorrow many guests will be coming to church for the first time since last year, or Christmas, as well as those who are members who attend almost every week. What is the message God has for all of us this year, this Easter? I want to get it right!

Have you seen my Son?

2010-03-31T11:59:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night, we have a reader's theater presentation called, "Have you seen my Son?". It is a play based on the night Jesus is betrayed, tried and crucified. Each character is a mother of one of the people who were with Jesus, not all of course but a few including Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Hearing the story of the events leading up to Easter from the mother's perspective, reminds me that the disciples, were real people not characters, they were born, raised by mother's, and struck out on the mission with Jesus. Their journey was unusual, full of unknowns and dangers. It was not an easy life, but one they pursued with passion, and dedication. Putting a human touch to the story enhances the power of their testimony to me, how frail and timid they were at times, how scared they were at times, how they abandoned Jesus at this crucial time. Yet God welcomes them back and uses them to spread the good news, their voices echo through time to our day. Even with how imperfect my witness is, God still is able to use me, use you for good, what a miracle is that!

Easter Preparation (streaming thoughts)

2010-03-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

Living, living a life that is worthy of the gift, living in a world where others can live healthfully, living to the fullest, playing, working, resting, all part of living a life, all I take for granted, all I give thanks for this day, an empty tomb, the defeat of evil, the cycle of death and rebirth, all concepts too massive to comprehend fully, yet trusting that doing the dishes, trimming the orange tree all is done in appreciation, in celebration, I did not die on the freeway, or from cancer this day, yet others have, other families grief, do I meet their suffering with healing in all I do this day? And do my decisions come back to enrich my life, or break down the sanctity of life? Does the empty tomb remain simply empty? My tenth Easter in this place, why so long in one place, why this place, what have I heard from the Spirit what have I missed, what am I still working on, what have I completed and need to move on? Friends everywhere and yet business gets priority, is this right or wrong, imperfect or perfectly understandable? What would Jesus say to me , to you to us, and what has he said and we were too busy to listen or care or act? It is a heavy week, remembering the life of Jesus, I wonder if it really has caught hold of my soul so that I can leave behind fear and anxiety just this week, and be prepared to leave the empty tomb and fill the world with love?

Laughing out loud!

2010-03-22T09:14:00.000-07:00

Pastor’s Article
“For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light” Psalm 36

The remarkable thing about this line from Psalm 36 is I happened to read it while sitting next to the fountain at the outdoor patio in the shopping center on the corner of Valley and Grand in Walnut. I was there instead of my office because I have become intentional about studying the Bible in public, and this spot is fun cause of the fountain, and because it is a popular gathering place for people to have lunch, or Boba or Starbucks.
Prior to reading the bible,I was reading some material I had stuck in my briefcase for this time outdoors in the Spring weather. I have been trying to keep to the ritual of reading from "Openings" a book by my friend Larry Peacock, and had forgotten the book, so I guessed which Psalm I should be reading. As it turns out Larry has it on March 21, so I was a few days early,however,for me to turn to this psalm and read it while sitting next to a fountain, I felt a smile arise from my soul and laughed at the notion of God planting the idea in my mind to read this particular psalm at that particular location.
As I start my week, and continue my preparation for Easter, I want to keep awake to the way God is directing me in these small but profound ways in my life.

Not preaching just living!

2010-03-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

This week our Chinese outreach pastor, Rev. Jimmy Nih is preaching. As I start this week, I am aware that not having to prepare for a sermon which gives me the freedom to work on other projects on my to do list. It also gives me an opportunity to take a breath, not have to concern myself with what I will be preaching on Sunday. I welcome the opportunity to take more time to read, to work on connecting with others via the internet, and take time to pause and discern how the Holy Spirit is guiding me and if I have been listening!
I love to preach, don't get me wrong, I love the discussions I have with others about the scriptures and what they have to say, putting together a worship service, with hymns and prayers,of writing out my thoughts to see if what I am hearing in the holy words make sense, and consider what action we are to take as a community of believers. This interaction with the sacred book feeds my soul, and give thanks to God for the opportunity to proclaim the good news.
I have discovered that taking a break now and then, helps me to think more deeply, and having to wait two weeks to preach again, gives my schedule time to delve more deeply into the book I am reading, or the scripture I am meditating on, to spend more time with friends, family, and members of the community, without the worry of having to rush home to finish the sermon prep!
How about you? What breaks do you need to take so you can breath a little more deeply?

Theology after Google

2010-03-11T16:49:00.001-08:00

How do you see the world? As a photographer and sometime sketch artist, the quest to slow down and see the beauty all around, to breath in the air, to glory in the creation, helps feed my soul. In the holy moments of slowing down long enough to see the world as a place of beauty not just to be consumed connects me with the earth, and my role as garden keeper.
Seeing others who I am photographing, helps me see them in a new way, I may of missed the way the light dances off their hair, how one eye is set a bit lower than the other, they smile which is so joyful.
What helps you see the world in a more in depth way? How do you get connected to the beauty of the earth and the beauty in those we know?

The prodigal son

2010-03-09T12:27:00.000-08:00

This week we will have a reader's theatre presentation of the prodical son, four voices will play the part of each of the characters in the story. I link this story to the words of Jesus on the cross, "Father forgive them". For his entire ministry, Jesus teaches about relationships, how to mend them with God, how to see the stranger as a brother or sister, to allow for those we have written off a place at our table. The world tries to push the model that we need to have a hierarchy, that those elected to public office have more power and prestige, those who are more successful and have more money are wiser, those of a certain skin color are more valuable. Further, when it comes to righting the wrongs that have been done to us, it seems that revenge, holding grudges, not trusting, punishment are higher values than forgiveness.
The kind of forgiveness Jesus preaches is not an easy task, or without its risks. Who says the younger son of this story in Luke 15, does not go out once again and spend all his father has given him? What if the oldest son is just in his reluctance to welcome his rebellious younger brother back? Forgiveness on the cross means that even in our most dangerous moments we are asked to reach out and care for another, to do all we can to restore the relationship to God and to us. It is not easy to forgive, and it is not easy to find a way of living beyond the celebration of restoration, life will continue to challenge that connection as long as we live. However, this is the life Jesus calls us too, the pilgrim path, full of pitfalls and unknowns. May God continue to guide us the whole way!

A Story for Sunday March 7, 2010

2010-03-06T21:52:00.000-08:00

A Story of a recent convention! (Modified by me, Homiletics Online has the original I used for the idea)

There was a worldwide convention of all who opposed God. The keynote speaker addressed the crowd and showed many pictures of Christians. The speaker commented on their task of undermining the work of God: “We can’t keep the Christians from going to church. We can’t keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can’t even keep them from Biblical values.

“But we can do something else. We can keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.

So let them go to church, let them have their Biblical lifestyles, but steal their time so they can’t gain that experience in Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!”

“How shall we do this?” shouted the convention goers.

“Keep them busy in the non essentials of life and invent unnumbered schemes to occupy their minds,” he answered.

What kinds of things? The crowd shouted back

“Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, then borrow, borrow, borrow.
Do not let them be satisfied with what they have, Tempt them with bigger and better things, a better car, a better computer, a better cell phone. Advertise, on billboards and TV ads, radio ads and on the Internet!

This will result in convince men and women to go to work for long hours, to work six or seven days a week, ten to 12 hours a day, so they can afford their lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their families and friends. Soon their main source of meaning and purpose will be in their work, and how much they can produce. They will not invest in their family or friends relationships, and soon they will get the message that they don’t really need relationships outside of the work. Divorces will become more and more common and soon the will to remain in relationships will be diminished, people will become happy with Face book and texting, and they won’t have relationships that will satisfy their souls.

What else? the gathered asked.

The Keynote speaker continued, “Overstimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that small, still voice of God. Entice them to play the radio, or IPOD whenever they drive, go to the gym, or while taking walks to keep the TV, VCR, DVDs, Cd's and their PCs going constantly in their homes. Do not allow the mind to wander from this constant input. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.

“Fill their coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, sweepstakes, mail-order catalog and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes.

The crowd was working itself into a frenzy: “What about their free time?”

“Even in their recreation let them be excessive. Have them return from the recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week. Don’t let them go out to nature to reflect on God’s wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead.

Introduce drugs to help them work when they are exhausted, and more drugs to have them calm down when they are at play.
Cause them to think this is all normal!

The Crowd went crazy: We love it, tell us more!

“When they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions.

And let’s champion the cause that people should not forgive each other, lift up revenge and envy as the way people as normal ways to resolve conflict, increase war and decrease peace. If we increase their fear of being harmed, they will forget how Jesus taught them to forgive one another.

“Let them be involved in soul-winning, but crowd their lives with so many causes that they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.”
This is the most important part of our plan because if we can distract the Christians it will weaken the churches, cause congregations to fight amongst one another, we can divide them with theological battles, and keep them from uniting, so they will not be connected to God’s power to which can change the world.

Lastly, we must convince the world that the problems they face are too big and too complex to solve. Let us keep them separated by religious beliefs, culture, race, age, so they will not discover the power of connection, of being united as brothers and sisters in Christ.

It was quite a convention in the end. The evil ones went to their assignments, causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and rush here and there.

Has their mission been successful?

You be the judge.

Their goal is to take our minds away from Christ and steer us toward the cares of the world. When we become disconnected from the Holy Spirit, soon we feel overwhelmed and under prepared for the cares of this life. God wants us to enjoy life, but God must be first. If we are too busy for God, then we are too busy!

—Source unknown.( Revised by SPM)

From Fear to Forgiveness: Waiting

2010-02-22T13:51:00.000-08:00

1The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27 starts with these words and then concludes with: Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
To let go of the fear I harbor in my heart and mind means allowing God to be the stronghold, the one I trust to give me courage. This I understand, but to wait? Bridges from fear to forgiveness have to be built! I need to work really hard to make this possible don't I? What do you mean I have to wait?
I wonder if it has anything to do with what they say on the Olympics broadcast concerning the skiers or the bobsledders or the skaters. They have trained very hard, they are in great shape, but if they over train, or if they do not relax then they force the performance, and due to their tension lose precious seconds that means the difference between a medal or not.
Of course we do not get gold or silver or bronze rewards as Christians, but I wonder if I am so busy, so focused on working hard, that I miss the presence of the God of my salvation? Maybe I do everything but take the time to wait, to listen, to feel how the Spirit is guiding me?
God has already built the bridge to forgiveness, God invites us to make the crossing, to allow the Spirit not fear to guide us over all the obstacles along the way.

Lent: From Fear to Forgiveness

2010-02-16T12:45:00.000-08:00

Today is Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent begins. During Lent, our worship will be centered around the passage from Ephesians 4:31-5:2 "Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."(NRSV)

As I think about what radical behavior it takes for us to go from fear to forgiveness, I like the image of a bridge. I have always admired bridges for their beauty, as well as the engineering it took to build. Many persons have lost there lives in the building of these spans, due to the difficulty of building them. Growing up in Massachusetts we had many types of bridges around us, a singing bridge in town, there was the bridge of flowers up the road, just to name a few.
The bridge that God builds for us to grow closer to our creator is a gift. We do not earn it, we do not create it. But for us to go from fear to forgiveness, it means leaving behind our old ways of bitterness and wrath, anger and slander, to live a life of love. This is not any easy choice, and not one we make only once.
Lent is a reminder of how dilagent we need to be in crossing the bridges that bring us closer to God and one another.
John Wesley the founder of United Methodism was passionate about the practices of faith that would lead to this life of love. His called his followers to gather in small groups, classes so they could learn how to leave behind their old ways and accept the new way of Christ. Lent is a time to practice a new way of living, of giving up something that has caused us to be bitter, unforgiving, and cross the bridge to a new place in our lives, of forgiving and loving. We cannot do this alone, it is a journey we need to take together. So I will be posting more often and want you to tell me, what gets in the way of your being able to forgive, and what has given you the courage to forgive? I pray together we will learn about how to forgive more powerfully!

When the Earth Shakes

2010-01-20T12:47:00.000-08:00

In the December issue of Christian Century magazine, author Herbert O'Driscoll wrote an article called "Shaken". He talks about his personal journey and concludes: "To serve in an age of earthquake is to be forced to decide what it is, for each of us, that cannot be shaken". As I have heard the news from Haiti, I wonder what remains with those whose lives have been so terribly shaken by the series of shakers that continue to threaten their lives? And I wonder what can I do about it, the need is so great, and our resources so little in my church.
My belief is that there is something solid to grab onto, something that can anchor me when life is such a stormy place. This foundation cannot be shaken, not matter what might come in life. That is not to say that I never fear, that I never worry, only that there is someone to hold onto even in the midst of my fear. Jesus walks with me and I am never alone. Jesus who cares for me when I am shaking, when I fear. And I do not fear his love, but trust in it, because I believe Jesus does not want me to suffer needlessly or endlessly.
I also trust in the united power of the world to help and care. I believe we have all we need to meet the horrible events that unravel before us, but too often we are caught up in bickering with one another to truly unleash our common care. We get caught up in differences, rather than capitalizing on our common strength, to care for one another.
So I turn over my fears and worries for the people to God, trust in God to lead me and to unite me with my brothers and sisters in the world to transform the world from hurt to healing, from war to peace. How about you? How are you able to be transformed from fear to faith?

Christmas Eve Poem

2009-12-22T15:17:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve

How Many times?

How many times have you heard
You MUST be happy
You Must celebrate
You must buy gifts
You must be grateful?

How many times have you heard
About Santa Claus
Rudolf, Frosty,

Listened to Bing Crosby or Clay Aiken or the Chipmunks Christmas albums?

And how many things do you have on your list to get done this time of the year?
Presents to buy
Events to attend
Travel plans to arrange
Gifts to ship
Cards to write
Cookies to bake
Pictures to take?

Whew! So much to get done
So much to prepare
So much on our minds
To show how we care!

Right now,
In this moment quiet
We do not have to rush
To buy it!
For in this silence
We can accept one gift true
Which makes our hearts glow
Even when we are blue

We can allow a bit of room in our soul
Our hearts can fill up like a bowl
With the glory, beauty and Peace
Given to us by God
Without hesitation in Grace
The Gift of a Lord
Who in one accord
Brings us all together
Right now, as we gather.
Hallelujah is the all the response
God requires
For us to experience
A renewal of faith fires

What a great gift
We have been given
Straight from God’s heart
Right from the residents of heaven

So no matter how many times we strike out on gifts,
Or when our family gatherings almost comes to fists
No matter how much we fail
In the holiday sales,
God loves us still,
Our minds, our hearts, our souls
Will find their fill
As we celebrate with one another
Singing songs of jubilation
Praying with one voice together
All of this helps us to prepare
To serve the needs of people everywhere
To bring the good news in our every action
Jesus’ gift brings true satisfaction

How many times can we care for a stranger?
To help a friend stay out of danger?
How many times can we pray for good health?
Share a bit of our wealth?
How many times can we take time to worship
To break bread, drink from a cup of joy with a sip?
How many times can we mend broken hearts
To restore fractured souls with caring arts?

How can we make a difference in the world so chaotic
To bring peace with justice even to the addict?
With the gift of Jesus, all this is mission possible
Because God’s love is unstoppable!
Halleluiah and Amen!

SPM 12-2009

Sermon for 12-13-09

2009-12-17T12:54:00.000-08:00

Phillipians 4: 4-7
Luke 3: 15-18
The World Needs Joy
After a long life of unselfish service, Father John O'Malley died and went to heaven. St. Peter met him at the gate and said: "John, you did such a wonderful job for us on earth, we'd like to do something special for you. You name it; it's yours."

John thought for a moment and said: "I'd like a private audience with the Holy Mother." St. Peter told him it would be arranged. On the appointed day, St. Peter escorted John to the Holy Mother's sanctuary. John went before Her, knelt, and said: "Holy Mother, I've always looked to you for guidance, and you have granted me peace and serenity through some difficult times. But I have one question that has nagged me during my whole time on earth. In all the paintings that were done of you, and in all the sculptures that were carved of you, you always looked so sad. Why is that?"

Mary thought for a moment, pursing her lips. She said: "I always wanted a girl."

Isn’t it funny that so often what we want, we have already, but we miss it because we focus on what we do not have?

Sometimes what we want is hidden from the clutter in our lives. Christmas time is certainly a prime example of how we often feel overwhelmed, we sense that this is supposed to be an important moment in our life, but often the responsibilities can hide the joy we are supposed to experience.

For many the sense of sorrow and feeling alone is at its height at this time of the year, because they are reminded of what they do not have, family, friends, who understand and love them.

For others, the financial issues and struggles have hit hard, it was reported that the number of homeless seeking cold winter shelter numbered 325 on the first night of the program for the East San Gabriel Valley, in comparison the number on the first night last year was around 100 and grew to 165 by the close of the program this past Feb.

In addition, I heard the report of the East Valley Clinic that serves those who have no health insurance, and they are seeing more and more families who have had very abundant lives but due to layoffs, are for the first time without health insurance or a job.

These realities cloud the joy of Christmas for so many.

What are we to do to rediscover joy in this time of preparation?

Paul points to the practice of rejoicing: ⁴Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”

Notice that Paul says rejoice in the Lord, rejoice in God. He writes from a jail cell, and yet he still finds a way to rejoice. He rejoices in the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth, the prince of peace, the savior of the world. I confess I am sometimes so overwhelmed with the details of life, I forget to praise the creator of life.

Phillip Newell who wrote this book of Celtic prayers wrote this prayer:

Early in the morning, I seek your presence, O God

Not because you are ever, absent from me

But because often I am absent from you

At the heart of each moment

Where you forever dwell.

In the rising of the sun

In the unfolding color and shape of the morning

Open my eyes to the mystery of this moment

That in every moment of the day

I may know your life giving presence

Open my eyes to this moment

That in every moment

I may know you as the One who is always now.

When Paul talks about rejoicing in the Lord always, and in all ways he is talking about taking a moment to be still, to feel, to see the presence of God.

For many the business of life, the hurried, got to get it done right nowness, can push the joy right out of life.

Repent, John the Baptist says: let go of all that which clutters up your soul, release all the doubts, all the concerns, all the anxieties and fears. Let go and Let God move in to those places which so desperately need joy.

Once we rejoice in the presence of God in us, in the world Paul tells us how to respond: Let your gentleness be known to everyone. You may recall that two weeks ago, I ended my sermon with a challenge, to bring peace into the world in our daily living. When we are at the grocery store, to practice peace by helping someone who is trying to find an item, not getting mad when someone cuts us off on the road, being patient in line when the clerk is trying to go as fast as he/she can. As I have been trying to follow my own challenge, I have noticed it is not as easy as it sounds. Nevertheless, because I have been intentional to bring peace into this hurried season, I have been able to change my reactions to those who are in such a hurry. Instead of cursing, I strive to pray for those who cut me off, because the way they are driving they certainly need to be prayed for! In a world that is often so harsh, we do well to practice gentleness.

Next, “The Lord is near. ⁶Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

This week has been finals week for both my daughters. Usually it is a high stress time of year for us all. I noticed however, it is not the usual sort of chaos that I am usually glad to get away from. Rather, they both have been calmer than usual. The secret according to Amber was getting some of her work done before finals hit.

I was looking at facebook and noticed that the School of Theology at Claremont was taking suggestions about how to manage finals. They were awarding a free lunch to those who came up with the best suggestions. I put my two cents worth in, study with friends! It works to help you test out what you know with peers before you have to write it down. It works to help you realize what you missed, and you help one another figure out what is essential to know. The other key for my daughter was that the teachers gave them a study outline for the test. With all the material they had to read, it was good to know what topics were going to be the focus of the test.

These simple lessons can help us in life, so we can have more joy, to loosen the bonds of worry, so we can be free to rejoice.

We too can have times of stress, and it is the work we have done to repent of those things that are unimportant in order to have room for what is important that will help us through. The gift we give to ourselves is to take the time to build a healthy strong relationship to God, because in the tough times it is good to know we can rely on God to bring us joy even when all seems lost

Friends are important because they help us gain perspective and help us see how we may have lost sight of what is really important.

In the first part of the chapter Paul says: therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved

This image of calling his brother and sisters as “my joy and crown” reminds me of a story I read about a pastor who told this story:

“I complimented a woman in Rustin, Louisiana, on her jewelry. She smiled and said, "Thank you. I collect gems." I agreed and said, "It shows."

"No," she insisted. "I don't collect those gems. I collect real 'gems'--I have a gem of a husband, a gem of a daughter, a gem of a friend, a gem of a pastor. Those are the real 'gems' I invest in."

Poem in honor of World AIDS day

2009-12-01T21:22:00.000-08:00
For 26 years the United Methodist Church in the California-Pacific Annual Conference as been offering Strength for the Journey Camp, a one week retreat for people living with HIV/AIDS. Through the years I have been humbled by the experience of being on staff for most of those years, and now serve as our conference HIV/AIDS task force chair. Last year I wrote this poem about my experience of camp.

Tired, sore muscles
But peaceful conversations
About terribly important subjects
Intertwined with soft warm breezes
And Bright Sun!

This camp is unique, never again
Will our lives be together,
At this precise time
At this precise place
This sacred place
With these holy people
Who will live in the empty spaces
Of our hearts forever!
Tired sore muscles
Campers still relaxing
Not quite ready to allow
Their beauty to
Touch all our Souls.
SPM-2008

I read this at the talent show and was asked about the line: "Not quite ready". I was trying to convey the sense that there was some reluctance by some to let go of all their defenses and allow the unconditional love and support into their hearts. By the end of the week, many had, mine had.

Give all You Can!

2009-11-22T21:59:00.000-08:00
Give All you can!
Joel 2: 21-27 In the face of loss the prophet calls his people to give praise to God
Matthew 6: 25-33 Wealth belongs in a relationship of trusting God, who provides for creation.

Joe Walker (former Conference staff person) tells about Jonesy, "one of those people" who exemplify in their lives the freedom that comes from grace.
"Jonesy" was a little lady in his small student pastorate in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Church had only two rooms, one to worship in, and one to eat in. Jonesy was one of those extremely faithful members, there whenever anything was going on. She came from a rugged background in the Arkansas Mountains, and she lived in a little ramshackle house a couple of blocks from the church. Her greatest disappointment, expressed every time the church had a potluck, was that all the water had to be heated on the stove, since the church did not have a hot water heater. She couldn't stand the fact that her church could not afford a hot water heater.
One morning the young pastor Joe Walker came to his church, patting the bricks of the little building to be sure all was in the right place, when suddenly he noticed in the corner of the kitchen a hot water heater. It was not a new hot water heater, but it was new to the church, with evidence around it that it had been freshly installed. Joe immediately walked the two blocks to Jonesy's little house. She was waiting for him on the porch. She tried to keep him on the porch, but he went right on in the house. She tried to keep him in the living room by offering him some cookies, but he headed on into the kitchen. He looked in the corner and, just as he knew he would find, there was an empty space where there used to be a hot water heater. "Jonesy!" he said, "You didn't have to do that!"
"If I had had to do it," she replied, "I wouldn't have!"
She then took her young pastor back into the living room to tell him a story. "Back in Arkansas," she explained, "people pass on truth to each other by telling stories that aren't true. This is one story my mother told me. When I was just old enough to understand she took me on her lap and told me, 'the night you were born I looked out that window up into the sky and saw a star, a brand new star that had never been there before. And then I heard all the angels in the heavens come together to sing a song that had never been heard before.'" Then Jonesy looked at her young student pastor and said, "Joe, I have my own star and my own angel's song, what do I need a hot water heater for?!" (From Rev. Rich Bolin’s sermon on Wesleyan Economics: Give All You Can, Culver City UMC).
What a wonderful attitude, completely in line with our three week emphasis on stewardship. We each have our own star, our own angel’s song. We have been given so much by God our Creator, sustainer. As we give thanks today for the blessings of our life, we trust these in the blessings, from a God who never gives up on us, who never withholds what we need to live full lives, full of joy, full of hope, full of peace, full of love. The prophet Joel announced , “I will pour out my spirit on all flesh…” so do not fear, be glad and rejoice! (Slide)
“Before his Ascension, Jesus said that he would be present and send the promise of the Father (Acts 1:4). That promise was fulfilled when the Spirit descended as wind and fire at Pentecost. The Spirit’s fulfillment continues in the Spirit’s ongoing activity among people of faith. John Wesley, in keeping with church tradition, recognized the Spirit’s work, especially surrounding the sacrament of baptism. Just as the spirit alighted on Jesus at his baptism, so too God gives us the Spirit to us at our baptisms”. (Wesley Study Bible)
The Spirit has been poured into every pore, every part of our being, abundantly , overflowing like a heart bursting with love, like a sold out crowd during the world series, like a thanksgiving feast, like a Disneyland light and fireworks show, like the stars in the sky, the drops in the ocean, the leaves on the all the trees, like the voices of all worlds choirs, like chocolate in Hershey town, like all the diamonds in Africa, like all the coal in Appalachia, like all the snow in Antarctica, like all the animals in all the earth, all the power of a hurricane, or volcano or earthquake, all the ships in the ocean, all the planes in the air, all the varieties of flowers, all the foods people eat all across the world, all the smells, all the sounds, all the sights, all that touches us, God is more than all of this.
Fear on the other hand causes us to be afraid, afraid there is not enough time: “2012 is the last day of the Mayan Calendar, and we need to worry”, there is not enough money, we do not have enough to solve issues like homelessness, HIV/AIDS, starvation, environmental health, not enough resources, our oil will run out, our water will run out, not enough defenses, send more troops, more police, more boarder patrol, more drug enforcement, not enough jobs.
Fear is the opposite of faith, and silly Jesus who proclaims in the midst of all the fears of our life” Therefore do not worry about your life!” Jesus don’t you know about all our worry’s and concerns, don’t you get it? Don’t you see what we face here in the real world? In fact Jesus does see, God does see, the Holy Spirit does see.
Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will bring worries of its own”. Thanks , something else to worry about.
No, Jesus does not teach us to fear, but to trust, trust in the face of the fears that surface in our lives, fear of cancer, fear of lack of money, fear of a lack of a job, fear of death, fear of going hungry, of loss, of grief, of powerlessness, of being hurt, of being taken for granted, of being forgotten, of not having enough, trust Jesus says, trust the prophet Joel says cast all your hopes and dreams on God! And you will have nothing to fear.
Once we have been freed from our fear, we will be free to give all we have to .
Jesus said that God was like Jonesy. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son …” John 3:16
The essence of God’s nature is to give. This begins to reveal to us the richness that is to be found in the doctrine of the Trinity. Trinity tells us that God is not to be understood in static terms, but rather, that God’s very being is already in relationship. Justo Gonzales has said that rather than trying to understand the Trinity, we should be imitating the Trinity. God gave his only son. God’s Spirit witnesses to our spirit that we are children of God. God touches our lives with cleansing fire to set us free for service. God is like Jonesy, not taking in and holding on, but flowing out and letting go.
John Wesley was like Jonesy, though he did not speak so poetically.
“First, provide things needful for yourself; food to eat, raiment to put on, whatever nature moderately requires for preserving the body in health and strength. Secondly, provide these for your wife, your children, your servants, or any others who pertain to your household. If when this is done there be an overplus left, then "do good to them that are of the household of faith." If there be an overplus still, "as you have opportunity, do good unto all." In so doing, you give all you can; nay, in a sound sense, all you have: For all that is laid out in this manner is really given to God. You "render unto God the things that are God's," not only by what you give to the poor, but also by that which you expend in providing things needful for yourself and your household.” (from John Wesley’s sermon, “The Use of Money”)
Friends, we are living abundant lives. Our cup overflows. It is not a matter of the cup being half-full or half-empty. Our cup is overflowing. The exact point at which the cup overflows is determined both by how much is flowing into our cup and by how big our cup is.
"This is Wesleyan economics: gain all you can, save all you can, give all you can. Gain all you can through honest industry and disciplined living. That is, gain all you can without doing damage to your own health, doing violence to your spirit, or harming your neighbor. Gain all you can without manufacturing products that are harmful or taking part in cutthroat competition. Gain all you can, not by promoting corporate greed, but by promoting corporate responsibility and working for the common good.
Save all you can by reducing your consumption. Don’t purchase what you don’t need. Saving all you can is not about putting money in the bank. Rather it is not spending money on anything beyond our basic needs. As we examined this second principle of Wesley’s last week, we noted that rather than being an old fashioned party pooper who doesn’t want us to enjoy life, Wesley is in fact a time-honored sage whose advice is prime for the 21st century. For what the world needs now is an ecological economics that sustains the planet by consuming less.
And then Wesley tells us to give all we can. Wesley is not talking about tithing. He is talking about “Jonesying.” Rather than saying that we should calculate a percentage of our income to give, he says we should determine what we actually need, and then give the rest. Wesley practiced what he preached. Bishop Kenneth Carder reports that as a student, Wesley lived on twenty-eight pounds. “He earned thirty pounds, so he gave away two pounds. As his earnings increased, he continued to live on the same twenty-eight pounds. When he earned 120 pounds, he gave away ninety-two pounds. Wesley wrote to his sister, 'Money never stays with me. It would burn me if it did. I throw it out of my hands as soon as possible, lest it should find its way into my heart.' He told the people that if at his death he had more than ten pounds in his possession, they could call him a robber." Bishop Carder made that observation several years ago in a sermon titled, “On Being Two-Thirds Wesleyan,” in which he suggested that Methodists were doing better at the gaining and the saving parts than the giving one. Actually, I think we are finding all three to be a challenge these days.
Nevertheless, friends, let us embrace the fullness of Wesley’s economics, for the sake of our world, for the sake of our souls, in response to the grace we have received, as persons each with our own star and our own angels’ song, let us gain all we can, save all we can, and give all we can". (Bolin) Amen.

Sermon 11-15-09

2009-11-16T15:13:00.000-08:00
Luke 16:1-10

Save all you can
Save energy, Save money, save time, save coupons, save yourself, being saved, save today, save for retirement, save food, save the women and children first, save at, Students against violence everywhere, save the day, save a game, Eric Gagne, Dodger save leader, Troy Percival: Angels Saves leader, Dog risks life to save a friend, Jesus Christ Saves, research saves lives, save natural resources, clean hands saves lives, Eco font saves ink, discount shopping by mommy saves, print coupons and save. Save the trees, robot zombie cat saves Halloween, disco tune saves man’s life, find the best travel deals and save, these are just a few of the
43, 300,000 ways to use the word save.
Today we are concerned about how John Wesley the founder of Methodism used the term in his sermon on the use of money. Last week we heard about how we are to gain all we can, without harming our neighbor, our own health. Wesley said, “The fault does not lie in the money, but in them that use it.” Rather, says Wesley, money “is an excellent gift of God, answering the noblest ends. In the hands of his children, it is food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, raiment for the naked…. It is therefore of the highest concern that all who fear God know how to employ this valuable talent.”
So today we exam what Wesley meant about the second principle, Save all you can. He has quite the list of do’s and don’ts when it comes to saving all we can.

First: “Having gained all you can, by honest wisdom and unwearied diligence, the second rule of Christian prudence is," Save all you can." Do not throw the precious talent into the sea”
Wesley believed each of us as having a potential gift to offer to the world. We may accumulate money, or train to be skilled in one area, or focus our talents in ways that will not be a waste. As he states:
“Do not waste any part of so precious a talent merely in gratifying the desires of the flesh; in procuring the pleasures of sense of whatever kind; particularly, in enlarging the pleasure of tasting….Despise delicacy and variety, and be content with what plain nature requires. In other words he would not be a “ foodie, or a fan of the Food channel, he was practical in his instructions, that we not ought to spend time wasting our energy on things that only satisfy the body, without regard to how that energy could be used to help others.
Wesley goes on “Do not waste any part of so precious a talent merely in gratifying the desire of the eye by superfluous or expensive apparel, or by needless ornaments... "Follow thou me." Are you willing? Then you are able so to do” Accessorizing would be lost on Wesley, Mr. T would have to trade in a few of his gold chains in order to follow Wesley’s teachings. In fact, we might adopt the practice of the Pilgrims who stuck to simple styles, practical, and even left their items in a will to relatives. A passenger named Brewster left in his will, "one blew clothe suit, green drawers, a vilolete clothe coat, black silk stockings, skyblew garters, red grograin suit, red waistcoat, tawny colored suit with silver buttons." Yes we can wear color, contrary to the legend of the pilgrims they wore colors and a variety of outfits, but all were modest and practical, not overly showy.

Four: Lay out nothing to gratify the pride of life, to gain the admiration or praise of men. ..be content with the honour that cometh from God. Spending money or time or energy in order to be admired by others was a waste according to Wesley, you should only be concerned with honoring God in all that you do.

Five: Teach your children the value of money from an early age.
In conclusion, Wesley asks: “Brethren, can we be either wise or faithful stewards unless we thus manage our Lord's goods? “ We are given so much, and we are asked to use what we have been given to bring justice to the world. The prophet Amos reminds us that there are guidelines to how we are to use our skills and gifts , to use them for good and not evil, so that you might live. Further we are to love good and hate evil, establish justice… Wesley calls us not to waste our gifts, talents or money on things that do not bring good, do not bring justice to the world. We will explore more about what it means to give next week as we conclude our series, for now it is good to remind us to save our best for God’s work.

Wesley’s sermon on the use of money uses the Luke passage as the scriptural context of his thinking.
“A certain rich man had a steward” - .
Jesus starts with a story that seems fairly ordinary: There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought that this man was squandering his property. It is not hard for his listeners or us to imagine an employee being dishonest. Schemes of Bernie Madoff, welfare fraud, embezzlement are all familiar scandals to us. So what does the manager do? He figures out that he can perhaps fix the problem by saving all the debtors a bit on their bills by giving them a steep discount, take 10, 20 % off if you pay now.
Ok so far, now Jesus is about to lower the boom, let’s see how the Rich Man punishes his dishonest manager.
However, Jesus tells a different ending to the one we might otherwise expect. Instead of condemning the manager, he commends the manager for his shrewdness. Instead of calling him out, he is praised. One commentator said it this way: While the steward's motives may have been only to make the debtors more congenial towards him, the master benefits equally from this new-found spirit of good will. The debtors no longer owe an unfairly tallied debt to the master; no longer do they see the steward as an out-of-control agent for the master. Thus, the master is once again respected and honored for re-establishing a right relationship between himself and his community.
The point of the parable in Wesley’s view, is all about relationship, and how we use what we have been given. Consider the Rich man, who like God gives the manager much to manage, abundance in fact. But instead of using that abundance well, the manager squanders what has been given to him in trust, sort of like when we squander what God has given us. Yet even then all is not lost, we can find a way to make it right again. The manager finds a way of reducing the debt of those who owe the already rich man in a way that restores their faith in him to be fair and principled. The manager rights the wrong. He saves his master from embarrassment, he saves those who have debt by reducing their loans, and he saves himself from being fired.
We are called not to waste what we have been given, and we have been given so much, we have such power to transform the world, if we follow God’s way.
C.S. Lewis said it this way:” Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased!"
-C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses
(New York: Macmillan, 1949), 2.
In his programs on teaching people to be fearless thinkers, Michael Price talks about the power of our minds. He states that we have such powerful minds, and yet that power is so often untapped. For example, he talks about those who become hypnotized. He talks about how when people are in a trance, they can be pursued with suggestions to the mind, that cause people to act or do things they would not have done. The power of suggestion even extends to physical, if someone is in a deep trance and it is suggested they just burned their skin, a red spot will appear.
So much of our fear is perception of what we think might happen, and so to be fearless is to look at a different way of perceiving, of retraining our brain to look at our lives differently.
The bottom line is that we underuse our abilities, and this is means we save too much back from the world. We become reluctant, afraid, anxious about sharing too much with the world, and so we hold back. Wesley did want his congregations to save all they can, not to waste energy on unimportant things, but this did not mean we are to habitually hold back. We are called to love the Lord with all our hearts and minds and strength, which means we are called to love the world in this same way.
I mentioned the pilgrims a bit ago, and I have always admired their courage to see religious freedom in a place the world had barely heard of. Of the original group
Half of their 102 members perished: "of the 17 male heads of families, ten died during the first infection"; of the 17 wives, only three were left after three months.

Their dedication to practice their faith free from the restrictions that they believed were contrary to God’s will. They did not want to waste time, they wanted to establish a place where not only themselves but generations that would follow would have a place to worship God, and not be persecuted in doing so.
We are called to save all we can, not to waste all that has been given to us. “Waste not want not,” using our resources carefully, prayerfully to transform our lives, to transform the world with God’s help. Amen

Gain all you can, Save all you can, Give all you can

2009-11-10T21:29:00.000-08:00
With thanks to Rev. Rich Bolin who sermon I liberally borrowed from!
Mark 12: 41-44
>"Wesleyan Economics 1: Gain All You Can" (first of three sermons)
My colleague Rev. Rich Bolin of the Culver City United Methodist Church told me the story of about he started to think about Wesleyan Economics. Last Spring the Culver City United Methodist Women hosted their annual Flower Festival with the very appropriate and timely theme of caring for our planet. Each of the tables was decorated with a Green theme, such as water conservation or the diversity of grains that sustain life on this earth. Rich says: “I was a little surprised when Darlene (one of the women) asked to borrow a volume of John Wesley’s sermons as an aid in decorating her table. She was looking for John Wesley’s sermon on “The Use of Money.” Now I suppose that could be considered a “Green” theme, but I didn’t think that was quite the angle that the planners had in mind. Then Darlene explained to me that Wesley’s instructions to the people called Methodists regarding the use of money could be applied to our stewardship of all creation. In brief, Wesley urged Methodists to “gain all you can,” “save all you can,” and “give all you can.” Darlene piqued my interest, so I went back and read Wesley’s sermon myself. Sure enough, what I found there is wisdom for the ages. Wesleyan economics is Biblical economics, which is kingdom of God economics, which happens to be what our lives and our planet need to survive and to thrive.”
After I heard this story, my interest was piqued as well, and so I read the sermon and then discovered the same thing Rich did: Wesleyan economics is wisdom for our age. I then presented the idea to the Finance committee, they became interested and so today is the first of three sermons on Wesleyan economics as we think about stewardship. The key is to realize that God calls us to be good stewards, of our green/money, our time and our use of our talents and gifts.
Consider the way Jesus contrasts the two attitudes of those who are giving at the Temple in Jerusalem.First, Jesus teaches about the scribes: for the sake of appearance, of, considered by Jesus to be self-serving and call attention to themselves. They were dishonest, and “Devour widow’s houses”. That is they gain their wealth by unjust means. Jesus then compares this with the widow, one who puts two small coins into the treasury. She is giving all she has, all she has to live on. Jesus compares her attitude with the rich give out of abundance, but she gives out of poverty. Jesus then teaches that this poor widow, has “put more than all those who are contributing to the treasury”. Why? Because Jesus sees what is in her heart and soul, she is giving out of devotion, out of a desire to contribute all that she has. God knows the difference between those who give out of selfish desires or out of an attitude to serve God.Mother Teresa said it this way: “If you give what you do not need, it is not giving”. Jesus teaches that we are to love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul, with all our strength, and how we live our daily living, how we use our time and energy, gifts and graces, as well as our green resources has everything to do with being a faithful disciple, to transforming the world. Wesley certainly believed that how we use our money is connected to faith.
Wesley’s instructions are easy to summarize: “Gain all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can.”
Of course, Wesley says to “give all you can.” What preacher wouldn’t? But “Gain all you can”? Is this an appropriate Christian maxim? Bill told me last week of the story of a preacher who announced from the pulpit, “I have good news and bad news. The good news is we have enough money to retire the mortgage on the church.”

A sigh of relief went through the congregation.

The preacher continued, “The bad news is the money is still in your pockets.”

Wesley immediately points out that though the scripture says, “The love of money is the root of all evil,” it is not money itself that is the problem. “The fault does not lie in the money, but in them that use it.” Rather, says Wesley, money “is an excellent gift of God, answering the noblest ends. In the hands of his children, it is food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, raiment for the naked…. It is therefore of the highest concern that all who fear God know how to employ this valuable talent.”
This past weekend I attended the fall meeting of the Board of Congregational Development, a time when we consider the funding proposals for new and revitalizing churches in the Southern California and Hawaii area. The basic concept is this: when there is a need for a new ministry, a plan is developed, refined reviewed by various committees and then makes it way to the Board. Only the most viable, sustainable projects are forwarded for our work, plans that do not include certain information, fail to provide a step by step plan, developed with a expert, or does not seem wise right now, does not have the right leadership, are all returned to the group who submitted the plan. Even then, the proposals far outnumber the amount the Board has to grant. This means, when we finish our work, we both celebrate for the projects that are able to use talents and gifts, money to make new disciples for Jesus Christ, and we mourn the projects that we were not able to fund, due to a lack of funds, or proposals that do not seem quite ready. A portion of your offering is forwarded to the Board every year, so we can start new ministries in places like, Fontana, a new development in San Diego County, Guam, Fullerton, La Puente. What you do with your money influences what we can do to grow new congregations, new disciples for Jesus Christ.
So Wesley encourages us to “Gain all you can, but …” Ah, now Mr. Wesley starts meddling. He has the audacity to suggest that the means by which we make money matters. He goes so far as to say that some professions are not appropriate for Christian people. “Gain all you can, But … we ought not to gain money at the expense of life, nor at the expense of our health…. We are to gain all we can without hurting our neighbor.”
John Wesley follows his instruction to gain all you can with a long list of don’ts. Do not work at a job that is destructive to your health, mental or physical. Do not put yourself in an environment where the air you breathe is unhealthy, or where proper time is not allowed to eat and to rest. Do not work at a job that expects you to cheat or lie. “If we are already engaged in such an employ, we should exchange it as soon as possible for some which, if it lessen our gain, will, however not lessen our health” or risk the loss of our souls.
Is it any wonder that Methodists have historically been at the forefront of advocating for worker’s rights? The first official Methodist Social Creed in 1908 called for an end to child labor, a 40-hour workweek, a living wage and the rights of workers to organize.This monument in Moscow city depicts the children (standing in the middle) surrounded by filthy grown ups - each grown up has its own flaw or sin, one of the most common sins of the modern society, together they like stand around the innocent children that have nowhere to go - going to either side would lead to some kind of attachment.
“Gain all you can,” says Wesley, without hurting your neighbor. Here Wesley, goes into such detail and calls into question common business practices. Do not devour your neighbors’ lands and houses by saddling them with debt and charging excessive interest. Do not sell your goods below the market rate in order to ruin your neighbor’s trade. Do not entice away your competitor’s employees.
In addition, do not make stuff that is bad for people! Wesley put it a little more properly: “Neither may we gain by hurting our neighbor in his body. Therefore we may not sell anything which tends to impair health.” Gain all you can, Wesley urges us, but if you are maximizing your profits by selling tobacco to anybody and alcohol to alcoholics, and if you are Las Vegas, enticing people to check their ethical behavior at the boarder, then stop it and find another way to make a living!
Gain all you can, says Wesley. So how are we supposed to gain all we can? Through honest effort and disciplined living: “These cautions and restrictions being observed, it is the bounden duty of all who are engaged in worldly business to observe that first and great rule of Christian wisdom with respect to money, ‘Gain all you can.’ Gain all you can by honest industry. Use all possible diligence in your calling. Lose no time. … Never leave anything until tomorrow, which you can do today. Moreover, do it as well as possible. Do not sleep or yawn over it: Put your whole strength to the work. Spare no pains. Let nothing be done by halves, or in a slight and careless manner. Let nothing in your business be left undone if it can be done by labour or patience.”
“Gain all you can, by common sense, by using in your business all the understanding which God has given you. … You should be continually learning, from the experience of others, or from your own experience, reading, and reflection, to do everything you have to do better today than you did yesterday. And see that you practice whatever you learn, that you may make the best of all that is in your hands.”
Then, “Having gained all you can, by honest wisdom and unwearied diligence, the second rule of Christian prudence is, ‘Save all you can.’
“But let not anyone imagine that he has done anything, barely by going thus far, by ‘gaining and saving all he can,’ if he were to stop here. All this is nothing. … Having, First, gained all you can, and, secondly saved all you can, then ‘give all you can.’”
However, I am getting ahead of myself. We will consider “save all you can” and “give all you can” over the next two weeks.
Wesleyan economics is Biblical economics is kingdom of God economics, which, I dare say, is not Wall Street economics. According to Sondra Wheeler, a Wesleyan scholar and professor of Christian ethics at Wesley Seminary in Washington, D.C., “… to take Wesley’s sermon ‘The Use of Money’ seriously would require a whole new way of thinking about how we earn and use money in a world in which others are in want.”
We all have some thinking to do … and not just about our individual choices or how much to put in the offering. We also have some thinking to do about how we order this local and global economy, so that we all might have healthy, life-affirming choices available to us to make a living, providing for our families, and ourselves and sharing generously where there is need.
One day a certain old, rich man of a miserable disposition visited a rabbi, who took the rich man by the hand and led him to a window. “Look out there,” he said. The rich man looked into the street. “What do you see?” asked the rabbi.

“I see men, women and children,” answered the rich man.

Again, the rabbi took him by the hand and this time led him to a mirror. “Now what do you see?”

“Now I see myself,” the rich man replied.

Then the rabbi said, “Behold, in the window there is glass, and in the mirror there is glass. But the glass of the mirror is covered with a little silver. No sooner is the silver added than you cease to see others but see only yourself.”
O Lord, help us to give selflessly, with gratitude for the God who has given us everything. Amen.

Malaria Gets Ugly- A Nothing But Nets Cover Story

2009-10-15T14:52:00.001-07:00
Malaria Gets Ugly- A Nothing But Nets Cover Story

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Losing hope?

2009-09-14T11:58:00.000-07:00
“To live in love is to live in life, and to live in life is to live in love,
To me, life is God’s gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to God. Make it a fantastic one”-Leo Buscaglia
There is no doubt we face many challenges in life. There are days when we wonder if we can make it, days we want to just quit our jobs, turn over our children to the local orphanage and scream. There is news that falls on our souls with a thud, and we feel burdened, wondering how we can take the next step in our lives. The above quote has been on my desk for the last couple of weeks and I have taken comfort from this insight. God gives us life, our lives are a gift to God. The intersection of the cross is a helpful reminder to me of the heart of life, that moment when the pain of this life is met with the love of God. It is a reminder for me to dwell in the heart of God, to find that place where the problems and pains of my life are met with the abundant love of God.
I was listening to a program about how in the time of disasters, people come together to support one another. Neighbors, sometimes who have never spoken, will help one another through the crisis, putting their lives on the line in some cases for perfect strangers. I think of the firefighters who have been fighting these wildfires in the mountains above my home, and I am amazed at the commitment they have to protect houses, lives of those who people they may never meet.
It is hard to sustain that sort of neighborliness after the tragedy is over, yet this is exactly what I think we need to do when Jesus calls us to love our neighbors. We need to reminders of the love of God which sustains us in our every day disasters, challenges that cause us to give up hope.
I believe the key is allowing ourselves to be open to how God calls us to live in the midst of the reality of life, it is not up to us to fix life, only to live with love, to give to one another the love from our hearts. Today is the perfect opportunity to start loving God, and one another so the world will be a more fantastic place for everyone.

Wildfires in California

2009-09-01T18:33:00.000-07:00
I have just moved in to a new community due to my wife being appointed to a new church in July. We live close to the San Gabriel Mountains, and lately we have been impacted by the wildfires that are raging above us. There is the ash and smell of smoke, there is the constant warnings to stay inside and not breath in the air filled with particles we cannot see, but fill our lung. There is the news of church camps that were threatened and the miracle that they were not completely damaged, only minor out buildings were destroyed. And because we moved next to a small airport we have had an extraordinary amount of air traffic due to the helicopters, sky cranes, and planes using it as a base to refuel and stay at night. I have been amazed at the effort it takes to keep the aircraft up in the air, the tankers bring fuel, maintenance crews work through the night to make sure the aircraft is ready to go at the break of dawn, the pilots who make such precise drops, and the spotters who help bring the resources to the right places at the right time. This does not even include all the ground crews and the effort of all the firefighters on the ground. What a blessing it is witness the miracle of cooperation that it takes for everyone to use their skills in an effective battle against the fires.
Again, I am not even aware of these crews are getting fed, and the effort of so many to provide shelter for evacuates, evacuate animals of all kinds, wow, it boggles the mind!
I wonder how different the world would be if we could learn to corporate with one another to fight oppression, homelessness,and establish wellness and peace on earth.

"..you may be filled with the blessing of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him as you bear fruit in very good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God" (Col.1:9-10)

We all bear fruit, we all have gifts and skills to offer to the Lord to make peace a reality, not all of us can be pilots some need to be ground crew, others to be on the front lines, those who need to be strategic and plan. It will take the full effort of everyone to make sure the hard issues of life are addressed and the challenges met.
What do you think? Steve

Article in Esperanza Magazine

2009-05-26T14:50:00.000-07:00
Recently I was interviewed by Esperanza Magazine about my experience of living with depression here is the article just published

The Mask of Male Depression

For a long time, Chuck P. didn’t know what was wrong with him. A former customer service representative at Wal-Mart in Bowling Green, Kentucky, he sometimes lashed out at coworkers and shoppers. Eventually, he attended anger management classes only to learn that his problem wasn’t anger at all. His therapist helped him identify that he was depressed—and that his irritability was a product of a biochemically-based brain disorder.

“It took me awhile to accept that I was depressed,” says Chuck, 49. “Being a guy, people think that you need to man up and not talk about it. They accuse you of whining about the little things. They don’t understand that depression for guys is difficult because we have all these expectations thrust upon us.”

More than 14 million American adults suffered a major depressive episode in the past year; more than 35 million have had one at some point in their lives. Nearly two-thirds of both those groups are women. However, a chorus of mental health professionals believes that men may suffer from depression at a much higher rate than is documented because they don’t recognize their symptoms or aren’t willing to get help. Even so, more than 6 million men are known to have depression each year in the United States alone, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

In Canada, about 8 percent of adults will experience an episode of major depression and anxiety at some point in their lives and about 5 percent in a given year, reports Health Canada and Statistics Canada. Again, women account for more of those cases, but many mental health leaders say that male depression is underreported.

Part of the reason for this is that men who are depressed often fail to recognize their condition, chalking it up to apathy, low self-esteem, and anger. And as such, experts say, they experience depression differently than women, often masking the disorder by self-medicating with drugs or alcohol. In both countries, men are four times as likely to die by suicide.

“Men tend to feel that they need to rely only on themselves and that it is somehow weak to have to depend on someone else, even for a short time,” says Frederick E. Rabinowitz, PhD, coauthor of Men and Depression: Clinical and Empirical Perspectives (Academic Press, 2000), written to help therapists work with men experiencing depression.

The way that men think about themselves can impede how they are identified and treated for depression, experts say. Compared with women, men tend to be far more concerned with being competitive, powerful, and successful. They often don’t like to admit that they feel fragile or vulnerable, so they’re less likely to talk about their feelings with their friends, loved ones, or even their doctors.

For Chuck, like many men, coming to terms with depression carries deep social and psychological challenges.

“With me, the more I talk about it the more I feel weird,” he says. “If you’re really a man, you’re not supposed to feel this way.” In our society, he adds, “it’s still a problem for most guys to get up the nerve to seek the help or assistance they need to work through this stuff without feeling like it’s going to come back at them in some sort of way. I feel damned if I do and damned if I don’t.”

Jim Blaha, 71, has lived with depression for the past 50 years. At 22, he had a breakdown that landed him in a psychiatric hospital for six weeks. Then, doctors called it “acute depression.” Since that time, he has had a major episode every eight to 10 years.

“When I was first diagnosed—and still today—depression in men simply wasn’t talked about,” says the former accountant and Westinghouse executive, who splits his time between Illinois and Florida. “It was something almost like what the gay community went through: “Don’t ask, don’t tell.”

Even though Blaha’s employer knew about his hospitalizations, “Most people didn’t know what happened to me, so it was never talked about much,” he says. “I kept it under the blanket.”

That’s starting to change. Education on the topic has made Blaha feel more comfortable sharing his story publicly. “Now, I take every opportunity to talk about this. That’s how you start to feel better—talking about it.”

He’s not alone. Scientists and public health officials in North America are now shifting their attention to bringing male depression into the spotlight. Several years ago the NIMH launched a nationwide television, print, and Internet campaign called “Real Men. Real Depression,” designed to counteract the notion that mood disorders are a sign of psychological or moral weakness.

In Canada, the Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health has focused on helping employers recognize the signs of depression in men, both to encourage them to get treatment and improve productivity. And researchers at the NIMH and elsewhere are studying the hormonal and genetic roots of depression as doctors get better at letting their male patients know that there are treatments—both psychological and pharmacological—that work.

Bill Wilkerson helped found the Canadian roundtable. Now in its 10th year, it was inspired by the findings of the Harvard School of Public Health’s 1996 landmark study “Global Burden of Disease,” which found that psychiatric illness, primarily depression, was the leading source of disability.

“You could look at whatever category of occupation—whether it’s judges, lawyers, physicians, plant workers, or office executives—and you can see the tendency to withdraw,” says Wilkerson. “This will reach a point where they hit a wall or the wall hits them.”

Wilkerson says this is why it’s imperative that employers take an active role in helping men who appear to be suffering from depression and anxiety.

“Men, unlike women, are less likely to reach out and be receptive to the suggestion that they may need some kind of support. Culturally, men are in a position where they have lived a life where any kind of suggestion of ill health is an assault to their own self-image. I think men are still coming out from behind those longstanding barriers to recognizing their vulnerability to these issues.”

Dave Schultz, 53, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, believes his depression started when he was a teenager. But the for-mer architectural draftsman said his own negative self-talk prevented him seeking help until 2000.

“I was very critical of myself,” says Schultz, adding that he started medication and talk therapy only after he began to fear he might end his own life.

“I’d just blame it on my character. I thought I was lazy, not worthwhile, not fun to be around, and that it was all my fault. Men, in general, are very reluctant to cry and express deeper feelings. I was no different.

“Simply put, I viewed it as a weakness, not an illness. And for years, I had no idea what was wrong with me.”

An established body of evidence from neuroscience, genetics, and clinical trials shows that depressive illnesses are brain disorders. But just what causes them is still being studied.

Modern brain imaging technologies show that in depression, neural circuits responsible for the regulation of moods, thinking, sleep, appetite, and behavior fail to function properly and critical neurotransmitters—chemicals that brain cells use to communicate—are out of balance.

In some families, depressive disorders seem to occur generation after generation. But they can also occur in people with no family history. Research shows that risk for depression results from the influence of multiple genes acting together with environmental or other non-genetic factors.

Therapists have identified social factors as the leading reason why men have long been left in the dark when it comes to being identified and treated for depression.

Rabinowitz, a professor of psychology at the University of Redlands in California, says men often experience depression differently from women.

“Culturally, women have more words to describe their inner emotional world and men have fewer words to describe it,” says Rabinowitz, who leads depression support groups for men. “So, for guys there’s more of a tendency to try to distract themselves from the nagging from that emotional world.”

They may be grumpy or irritable, or lose their sense of humor. They might drink too much or abuse drugs. They might work all the time or compulsively seek thrills in high-risk behavior. Or, they may become isolated and no longer interested in the people or things they used to enjoy.

Take Schultz, for example. “It was hard for me to derive any sort of joy from any activities in my life,” he says. “I was withdrawn and always took a pessimistic view. I could never feel there was meaning or purpose in life.”

Chuck says his depression has kept him from using his bachelor’s degree, so he works minimum-wage jobs instead. “I don’t want to answer the phone. I don’t want to watch TV. I wake up sometimes and just say, ‘ugh.’ I just stay asleep and try to avoid the whole day.”

Very often, a combination of genetic, cognitive, and environmental factors is involved in the onset of a depressive disorder. Trauma, loss of a loved one, a difficult relationship, a financial problem, or any stressful change in life patterns—whether the change is unwelcome or desired—can trigger a depressive episode in some individuals.

Men are particularly vulnerable when the economy is bad, experts say. Recent studies have shown that up to one in seven men who become unemployed will develop a depressive illness within the following six months. In fact, after relationship difficulties, unemployment is the most likely thing to push a man into a deeper depression. This isn’t surprising, experts say, as work is often the main source of a man’s sense of self-worth and self-esteem.

Whatever the cause of a man’s pain, if he fails to get to the heart of it, he often turns that discomfort outward in the form of aggression, or simply masks it with drugs and alcohol. “Men tend to have a higher substance abuse rate, and the data shows they’re twice as likely to be alcoholics,” Rabinowitz says. “I believe that is a reflection of depression forced outward.”

If a man thinks he may be depressed, the most important thing to do is seek treatment, Rabinowitz adds.

“Men are as successful at doing therapy as women when it’s done with empathy and understanding for the male experience.”

Even when men realize they’redepressed, they often encounter barriers to treating the problem. Talk therapy geared specifically to men is rare and groups like those run by Rabinowitz can be hard to find. While medication can be an effective treatment, it often produces side effects such as weight gain and sexual problems.

Raymond W. Lam, MD, professor and head of the Division of Clinical Neuroscience at the University of British Columbia’s Department of Psychiatry, says that about 30 percent of men taking SSRIs (selective seratonin reuptake inhibitors) will experience sexual side effects, including erectile dysfunction and the inability to achieve an orgasm. He points out, however, that there are non-SSRI antidepressants that do not have sexual side effects.

While at least some of the side effects associated with the SSRIs can be treated with other medications, “it can definitely be a tradeoff,” says Lam, also the medical director of the Mood Disorders Centre of Excellence at UBC Hospital in Vancouver.

Notes William Ashdown, vice president of the Mood Disorders Society of Canada: “Many men feel that a diagnosis of depression is an accusation that they’re impotent. And that feeling over the years has been enhanced by medications that have exactly that effect.”

Steve Poteete-Marshall, 50, a pastor at Walnut United Methodist Church in Walnut, California, has lived with depression and anxiety since he was in his 20s. He says he put off medication treatment because he was fearful of the sexual side effects and “afraid it would ruin my sex life with my wife,” also a church pastor, particularly when they were newlyweds.

Poteete-Marshall dealt with his depression through talk therapy for many years. He finally decided to take antidepressants when, during a stressful church assignment, he began having suicidal thoughts.

“I did get those (sexual) side effects,” Poteete-Marshall says. “And I still have them. But now I try to think of my sexuality as a whole, not just the physical side of it. My wife and I are at a different stage in our relationship, and I can be intimate without it all being just about sex.”

Schultz, who is single, avoided taking medications for the first full year after his initial diagnosis. Ultimately, he discovered that the benefits of feeling better outweighed the side effects.

“The first antidepressant I took caused sexual dysfunction,” he says. “But I was so happy that I was pre-pared to ignore that because I was just so thrilled to get relief from the depression.”

The most important thing to remember, says men who’ve lived with depression, is that it’s possible to manage the disorder with treatment and attention.

“My advice to other men who have depression is to try to be honest—to know the self,” says Blaha. “Don’t be afraid to say, ‘I’m feeling not-so-good right now.’ There’s nothing wrong with having this even if you’re hospitalized with depression. It’s a reality. It’s not a negative. It’s not any different from a broken leg, cancer, or kidney disease. There’s recovery available for it, and there is less and less stigma associated with it.”

Blaha, who has had five hospitalizations for depression during his lifetime, says that getting help has saved his life more than once.

For his part, Schultz left his career as an architectural draftsman in 2006 to help other people who suffer from depression. Today, as a staff member at the Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba, he devotes his career to the cause of helping men get treatment.

“My life has changed dramatically since I got help,” he says. “I still have short periods when I can be overwhelmed by circumstances, but generally I have an optimistic view and have really found that my work helping others has helped me.”

Poteete-Marshall says the key for him was finding the right medication balance despite the side effects.

“You don’t want to be overmedicated so you’re dull and don’t experience the highs of life. It’s taken me several years to get to the place where the side effects are manageable. Now, I can still feel highs and lows, but it’s not the deep highs and lows.”

He also finds healing in raising awareness about the illness.

“I don’t always talk about my depression with my congregation, but I do allow them to know what’s going on. The big thing is, don’t stop exploring it. I talk about how life is a journey all the way. Just because you reach a certain point doesn’t mean you’ll stop learning about yourself or your depression. It will keep challenging you, but see it as that: a challenge, not a deficit.” e

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Michelle Roberts is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon. A recipient of a 2004-05 Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism, she specializes in mental health and family issues.

Praying Psalm 23

2009-04-28T19:32:00.000-07:00
I shall not want
I have been reading and reflecting on the topic of trust. Do I trust God or do I withhold my faith in God? I have the tendency to withdraw my trust when under stress, or when I feel threatened by the turmoil of life's demands. I do the opposite of what the author of this psalm affirms, to allow God to guide me. Perhaps it is in letting go and of emptying myself of the need to be in control I allow God to fill me with wisdom and I do not want.

The Lord is my shepherd Psalm 23

2009-04-27T15:51:00.000-07:00
Growing up in rural Massachusetts I was connected to the land in so many ways, I liked playing outdoors in the forest that surrounded my home in the summer cause it was cool and shady. The pine needles could be bundled up and made great forts to hide in. The winter snow provided slippery runs for sliding, and the summers were a time to go to the lake and swim.
I don't know if it is because I grew up loving the outdoors that I love the Psalm, or if it was the message that comforted me,maybe it was both. And it is a Psalm I never get tired of hearing, the words work into my soul in new ways each time I turn to these words. And even those who do not attend church now, are familar with the assurances present in these few short sentences. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want". I am still living into the promises found in Psalm 23.

Luke 24: 41

2009-04-22T12:01:00.000-07:00
Luke 24:41 "While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering"
Wow, can I really be in joy of seeing Jesus yet still disbelieve? Can I pray and offer all my burdens yet hold on to them? Can I worship with thanksgiving, yet still hold on to the pains I have suffered? The disciples had seen the hands and feet of their resurrected Lord and Master yet they still wondered, is this really Jesus? I admit I too often can miss the presence of Jesus in my life, if I am too self centered, too self absorbed and too full of hurt. Letting go and Letting God is a pilgrimage I take every day, discovering anew the presence of Jesus in life and how to witness to this.

The Art of Pilgrimage: The seeker's guide to Making Travel Sacred

2009-04-03T20:57:00.000-07:00
For those of you starting to make summer plans for traveling, I highly recommend the book: The Art of Pilgrimage by Phil Cousineau. It is a easy accessible book that you have to read slow, with a journal and camera or sketchbook in hand. I am using this book as a year long companion, and have been using the theme Following the Prince of Peace as my theme for church worship for the year as well. Each season focuses on parts of the pilgrimage we take as we read the lectionary, and the seasons of the year. For anyone who wants to make their journey more thoughtful, more meaningful, I would hope you would pick up this book, and perhaps invite a few of your friends to read along with you!

"With deepening of focus, keen preparation, attention to the path below our feet, and respect for the destination at hand, it is possible to transform even the most ordinary trip into a sacred journey, a pilgrimage". (page xxiii)