As the end of the Christmas weekend wound down, it was time to prepare myself for a busy week, and another Tuesday night worship service at CFCF.
In the two plus years since our Friday night bible group attended a worship service with the men incarcerated at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, I’ve been blessed with a whole new understanding of the impact that Christ’s message has on people. The services we lead, and participate in, are extremely varied. Some nights I come away with a strange peace enveloping me. Other times I am energized and find it hard to wind down and relax when I get home. Some times it’s subtle while other times it’s like a rocket is being launched. It’s not always “the best service ever”, but the only times it’s been disappointing have been the nights we haven’t been allowed in.
Last night was just plain amazing. The music was good and we all enjoyed it. Michael’s message was powerful, loaded with scripture and captured the men’s attention. But there were two specific points that made the night amazing, for me at least.
The Men – I don’t remember a night when there was so little talk going on in the back of the room. Sometimes the prison chapel is like high school. A certain group of guys sit in the back and carry on – as much as they can get away with. Now I don’t know if it was because the CO stayed in the room the whole time or because the men were not allowed to leave the room, for any reason. Whatever the reason they stayed seated, they were attentive and I could tell by the looks on their faces that they were captivated by the message.
The Common Theme – I went into the service with the desire to share something I read yesterday in a daily devotional. And even though we didn’t discuss it before hand, Michael, Dave and I all were focusing in on the same message that we should put God first. It’s not an obscure message; it’s a very important part of the Gospel actually. But the fact is there are plenty of other areas that each of us could have talked of, but as Dave and I discussed on the way home: the Holy Spirit seemed to be guiding our words even more than usual.
The devotional I had read referred to a book called “I Am Third”, the autobiography written by Gale Sayers that inspired the movie “Brian’s Song”. I am third is a reference to: God is 1st, others 2nd and I am 3rd. If there is one lesson that I have worked on harder to achieve, it is that “I am third”. If I can lead with Christ as a husband, a father, a friend, an employee, a boss, in anything; I can be better at each of those duties. I know that I’ll never fully achieve that, but as long as I keep striving for that I should be all right.
Father God: Please help me and all of my brothers and sisters in Christ put you first. Give us the strength to do so in times of happiness and in times of pain, as we reach levels of accomplishment or as we lose our jobs, at the birth of new child and at the passing of an old friend. Bless the brothers at CFCF to keep you as their focus when they are processed on to long-term incarceration. And keep a special eye on those that are being released so that they stay on the Lord’s path and don’t fall into the old habits that put them at CFCF in the first place. I ask this in the powerful name of your son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Say a prayer for somebody today.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
No Thanks Necessary
It was a little over a year ago when I was informed that I was shortly going to become unemployed because one of the company investors was going to be taking my job. After a time of praying and discussing it with Michelle, I began the process of preparing for my career change. Early on, one of my friends offered to pass my resume along to a friend of his that had a strong human resources background. He thought that she might be able to critique my work and offer some hints on making it more effective. Not being one to refuse a helping hand, I gladly accepted. The resulting resume was more polished and professional and gave me some early confidence.
Shortly after completion, I took the opportunity one bright Sunday morning after church to introduce myself to Kirsten Hyland and thank her for the help she had given. I don’t remember exactly what either of us said that morning, but I do remember that her response was something in the way of, “No thanks are necessary. I’m just glad I was able to help out a little.”
Now I’ve heard that response from others at various times in my life. Sometimes they mean, “I’m glad you finally took the time to seek me out and thank me.” Other times it means, “Well somebody had to help you. It might as well have been me.” It might even mean, “I really don’t have any more time for you. Please allow me to get on with my own life.” But there was something about the friendly way Kirsten put it, and the way she continued the conversation and advice that told me that she actually meant, “No thanks are necessary. I’m just glad I was able to help out a little.”
I truly regret that I never got a chance to really know Kirsten. On the other hand, since Kirsten, and her husband John, joined our Friday night bible study group last fall, I was more fortunate than most of the other 6.8 million people in the world. I was given the opportunity to become friends with a person that followed Christ’s instructions. He said (John 13:34)
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
From the little that I got to know Kirsten, she didn’t just read this verse; she lived it. Kirsten, while I understand that thanks are not necessary, they are sincere. Thank you, Child of God, for your help, your understanding, your love, and your life.
Say a prayer for somebody today.
Shortly after completion, I took the opportunity one bright Sunday morning after church to introduce myself to Kirsten Hyland and thank her for the help she had given. I don’t remember exactly what either of us said that morning, but I do remember that her response was something in the way of, “No thanks are necessary. I’m just glad I was able to help out a little.”
Now I’ve heard that response from others at various times in my life. Sometimes they mean, “I’m glad you finally took the time to seek me out and thank me.” Other times it means, “Well somebody had to help you. It might as well have been me.” It might even mean, “I really don’t have any more time for you. Please allow me to get on with my own life.” But there was something about the friendly way Kirsten put it, and the way she continued the conversation and advice that told me that she actually meant, “No thanks are necessary. I’m just glad I was able to help out a little.”
I truly regret that I never got a chance to really know Kirsten. On the other hand, since Kirsten, and her husband John, joined our Friday night bible study group last fall, I was more fortunate than most of the other 6.8 million people in the world. I was given the opportunity to become friends with a person that followed Christ’s instructions. He said (John 13:34)
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
From the little that I got to know Kirsten, she didn’t just read this verse; she lived it. Kirsten, while I understand that thanks are not necessary, they are sincere. Thank you, Child of God, for your help, your understanding, your love, and your life.
Say a prayer for somebody today.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
What a Wonderful Night
Another wonderful night. Dan shared from the heart (good to see you back big guy), Dave joined the rotation with a nice gospel lesson and I led the prayer worship. Ok, well maybe Bob and Quentin actually led the praise. But I stepped out of my comfort zone again and sang "Come on in the Room". All right. Maybe sang is an overstatement. But I had the mike, and sound, well - noise, was coming through the golden pipes. And nobody left the room screaming (although one guy may have completely lost all hearing in one ear. We'll try to forget about that).
The spirit continues to lead the way. We're just helping out the best we can.
Brother Quentin shared with me that he thinks he only has about three weeks left in CFCF. Please join us in prayer that we stop worshipping with him on the inside and that we get the opportunity to worship with him somehow, some way, on the outside.
Father, please lift up brother Quentin. Allow his love for you to overpower any wrongs he may have done and give him the opportunity to share his message with others outside the walls of CFCF. Give him the strength to stay away from old, bad habits, and connect with other Christian brother's and sisters in order to give him a new, and better, life; one that revolves around you. Only through you can he protect himself from the influences of the enemy. We ask this in the name of Jesus. And may all God's Children say, "Amen".
Say a prayer for somebody today.
The spirit continues to lead the way. We're just helping out the best we can.
Brother Quentin shared with me that he thinks he only has about three weeks left in CFCF. Please join us in prayer that we stop worshipping with him on the inside and that we get the opportunity to worship with him somehow, some way, on the outside.
Father, please lift up brother Quentin. Allow his love for you to overpower any wrongs he may have done and give him the opportunity to share his message with others outside the walls of CFCF. Give him the strength to stay away from old, bad habits, and connect with other Christian brother's and sisters in order to give him a new, and better, life; one that revolves around you. Only through you can he protect himself from the influences of the enemy. We ask this in the name of Jesus. And may all God's Children say, "Amen".
Say a prayer for somebody today.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Healthcare Reform
I received an e-mail a couple of days ago from my Congressman regarding healthcare. On the left side of the opening page was a testimony describing the death of a man that was denied health insurance because he had a history of heart disease. On the right side of the page was a question: Should insurance companies be allowed to deny people coverage based on pre-existing conditions such as pregnancy, cancer, high blood pressure, acne and asthma? The possible answers were: Yes, No and Undecided. Talk about a biased survey! It is difficult to read that story and then answer, “yes” to the question. As a Christian, I find it difficult to watch people suffer and do nothing about it. The problem here is that this is not necessarily a question that can be narrowed down to a yes or no answer.
I believe one of the struggles is attempting to differentiate between health insurance and health care. Insurance, by definition (1) means: “Coverage by a contract binding a party to indemnify another against a specified loss in return for premiums paid.” You make payments in order to cover yourself from potential future losses. If you were to come home and find your house burning down and called an insurance company asking for homeowners insurance against fire, you would be denied. That is a pre-existing condition no different from getting a diagnosis of a disease and then going to a medical insurance company asking for coverage. If we decide to force insurance companies to pay for such events, they would no longer be providing an insurance service. They would be providing subsidized health care. As individuals realized that they didn’t need to pay premiums in advance of medical issues, many would wait until medical care was needed and then obtain coverage. Without premiums, insurance companies would go out of business. Then the entire country would be forced to pay the extensive medical care as needed. Since most people would not be able to afford it, the government would step in at that point and begin paying for medical care. Despite our representative’s denials that they are attempting to create a socialist system, that is what would occur. Let’s go back to the dictionary (1):
Socialized medicine – n. A government regulated system for providing health care for all by means of subsidies derived from taxation.
While I’m on the healthcare subject (after all, that’s what I’m writing about today), I’d like to address another one of the arguments that has been bouncing back and forth between the sides of this debate. That is the issue of “death panels”. One side argues that they don’t want the government to have the power to make decisions regarding when somebody is worthy of receiving additional care, providing counseling on end of life decisions or when a choice needs to be made between extensive medical treatment and pain relief. The counter argument is that the faceless insurance companies are already making these decisions, so what is the difference? There is one major difference that I can see: If your insurance company makes a decision that you do not agree with, you have choices. You can file complaints with the company, with insurance regulators or with your elected government officials. You can proceed to find other ways to obtain the care you need. If it is the government making the same decisions, whom will you go to then? You most likely won’t be able to sue because of the Federal governments protection against litigation. Depending on how the law ends up being written it might even end up being illegal for you to find other ways to obtain the care you desire. I would rather have the system that offers more opportunity and choice.
I’m not saying that the health care system we have is perfect. There are definitely areas that can be reformed. If a covered individual loses their insurance (loss of job, disability, etc) and then can’t get coverage because they have a pre-existing condition, there should be some option out there. Additional protection from decisions made to deny you coverage should be established to give individuals a right to a timely hearing before some kind of regulatory commission. Tort reform could lower the costs that the medical system incurs. Other cost cutting measures, by people much more knowledgeable than me, could be researched and addressed.
We currently have a great healthcare system that a significant number of Americans enjoy. Let’s tighten it up. Let’s find ways to make it better, and fairer. But why replace the known with the unknown? Why make a switch to a socialized system? Why change to a hastily created system that could end up being a disaster?
Say a prayer for somebody today.
(1) from the American Heritage College Dictionary
I believe one of the struggles is attempting to differentiate between health insurance and health care. Insurance, by definition (1) means: “Coverage by a contract binding a party to indemnify another against a specified loss in return for premiums paid.” You make payments in order to cover yourself from potential future losses. If you were to come home and find your house burning down and called an insurance company asking for homeowners insurance against fire, you would be denied. That is a pre-existing condition no different from getting a diagnosis of a disease and then going to a medical insurance company asking for coverage. If we decide to force insurance companies to pay for such events, they would no longer be providing an insurance service. They would be providing subsidized health care. As individuals realized that they didn’t need to pay premiums in advance of medical issues, many would wait until medical care was needed and then obtain coverage. Without premiums, insurance companies would go out of business. Then the entire country would be forced to pay the extensive medical care as needed. Since most people would not be able to afford it, the government would step in at that point and begin paying for medical care. Despite our representative’s denials that they are attempting to create a socialist system, that is what would occur. Let’s go back to the dictionary (1):
Socialized medicine – n. A government regulated system for providing health care for all by means of subsidies derived from taxation.
While I’m on the healthcare subject (after all, that’s what I’m writing about today), I’d like to address another one of the arguments that has been bouncing back and forth between the sides of this debate. That is the issue of “death panels”. One side argues that they don’t want the government to have the power to make decisions regarding when somebody is worthy of receiving additional care, providing counseling on end of life decisions or when a choice needs to be made between extensive medical treatment and pain relief. The counter argument is that the faceless insurance companies are already making these decisions, so what is the difference? There is one major difference that I can see: If your insurance company makes a decision that you do not agree with, you have choices. You can file complaints with the company, with insurance regulators or with your elected government officials. You can proceed to find other ways to obtain the care you need. If it is the government making the same decisions, whom will you go to then? You most likely won’t be able to sue because of the Federal governments protection against litigation. Depending on how the law ends up being written it might even end up being illegal for you to find other ways to obtain the care you desire. I would rather have the system that offers more opportunity and choice.
I’m not saying that the health care system we have is perfect. There are definitely areas that can be reformed. If a covered individual loses their insurance (loss of job, disability, etc) and then can’t get coverage because they have a pre-existing condition, there should be some option out there. Additional protection from decisions made to deny you coverage should be established to give individuals a right to a timely hearing before some kind of regulatory commission. Tort reform could lower the costs that the medical system incurs. Other cost cutting measures, by people much more knowledgeable than me, could be researched and addressed.
We currently have a great healthcare system that a significant number of Americans enjoy. Let’s tighten it up. Let’s find ways to make it better, and fairer. But why replace the known with the unknown? Why make a switch to a socialized system? Why change to a hastily created system that could end up being a disaster?
Say a prayer for somebody today.
(1) from the American Heritage College Dictionary
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Thy Will, or My Will
I recently read, or heard, a saying that keeps running through my head. It goes something like this: At the time of judgement, you will have a pretty clear idea of where you are headed based upon 4 little words - "Thy will be done." It is not the words themselves that have such meaning, but rather who is saying them; and to whom. If you are saying to God, "Thy will be done", than you are probably preparing for a long and joyful eternity. If God is saying, "Thy will be done" to you, that is probably a pretty good indication that you have not put him first in your life.
I wrote once before that in my early days of prison ministry, I was disappointed when things didn't flow as we (actually I) had planned. I learned that while it is good to plan, and be prepared, we have to accept God's direction and allow the course of an evening to be changed. Of course one of the challenges is knowing if it is God leading the way, or the enemy leading us astray. Tonight, God led the way!
The plan tonight was that Michael would lead in praise and Royce would deliver the message. Since it was just the three of us, I figured that at some point I would share or lead a prayer. From the beginning of the night, for whatever reason, the men were participating a little more. One of the guys played some keyboards while brother Quentin sang a couple of songs.
Praise went on for a while (longer than usual) and at one point I was handed a note. One of the men was asking for a special prayer for one of his brother's. The brother had been going through some tough times and then had lost his father that morning. Now I know how difficult it is to lose a parent, but I can't imagine how difficult it must be to lose a loved one and not be able to be there because you are locked up. Whether you deserve to be in jail or not, that has got to be painful. I was all set to step up and ask Royce if I could speak the prayer leading into his message. But at the last minute, instead of stepping up to read it, I handed the note to Royce indicating that he should read it.
Now Royce could have pressed me into reading it, or read it himself. Instead, he asked brother John to come up and lead us all in prayer. John sometimes takes keyboard duties when Michael isn't there, but I had never heard him speak at a service. It was heartfelt; it was joyous; it was emotional; but more than anything else, it was obviously God using one of his children to help out his brother(s). By the time John was done tears were streaming down his face and I saw a number of other wet eyes as well. Royce responded as well. Rather than taking his planned sermon, he went into an immediate altar call and followed that powerful moment with a well timed reading of Luke.
Maybe I would have given a nice prayer. Maybe Royce's planned message would have been well received. Those are unknowns. What I do know is that tonight I made the statement, "Thy will be done", and I felt blessed because of it.
Say a prayer for somebody today.
I wrote once before that in my early days of prison ministry, I was disappointed when things didn't flow as we (actually I) had planned. I learned that while it is good to plan, and be prepared, we have to accept God's direction and allow the course of an evening to be changed. Of course one of the challenges is knowing if it is God leading the way, or the enemy leading us astray. Tonight, God led the way!
The plan tonight was that Michael would lead in praise and Royce would deliver the message. Since it was just the three of us, I figured that at some point I would share or lead a prayer. From the beginning of the night, for whatever reason, the men were participating a little more. One of the guys played some keyboards while brother Quentin sang a couple of songs.
Praise went on for a while (longer than usual) and at one point I was handed a note. One of the men was asking for a special prayer for one of his brother's. The brother had been going through some tough times and then had lost his father that morning. Now I know how difficult it is to lose a parent, but I can't imagine how difficult it must be to lose a loved one and not be able to be there because you are locked up. Whether you deserve to be in jail or not, that has got to be painful. I was all set to step up and ask Royce if I could speak the prayer leading into his message. But at the last minute, instead of stepping up to read it, I handed the note to Royce indicating that he should read it.
Now Royce could have pressed me into reading it, or read it himself. Instead, he asked brother John to come up and lead us all in prayer. John sometimes takes keyboard duties when Michael isn't there, but I had never heard him speak at a service. It was heartfelt; it was joyous; it was emotional; but more than anything else, it was obviously God using one of his children to help out his brother(s). By the time John was done tears were streaming down his face and I saw a number of other wet eyes as well. Royce responded as well. Rather than taking his planned sermon, he went into an immediate altar call and followed that powerful moment with a well timed reading of Luke.
Maybe I would have given a nice prayer. Maybe Royce's planned message would have been well received. Those are unknowns. What I do know is that tonight I made the statement, "Thy will be done", and I felt blessed because of it.
Say a prayer for somebody today.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
A 16th Birthday
A hot and humid day at Six Flags with eight 16 year old girls and one 50 year old Dad. The original plan was that Michelle and I would take them, together, back in July as part of Lizzy's 16th birthday celebration. However the weather didn't cooperate and the idea of spending a day at Great Adventure in a torrential downpour didn't appeal to us. When we rescheduled, Michelle found it impossible to take the day off, so here I am.
Because I love a good roller coaster, I decided to tag along most of the day. Despite my best efforts though, they refuse to be embarrassed by me. As we stand in lines, often 60 - 90 minute waits in the hot sun, they give me high fives, occassionally include me in conversation, and generally make me feel a part of the group. However, when the spinning rides come up, I elect to sit them out (for the benefit of those that would end up in front, or below me). Now I have a chance to do some real "Daddy Damage". I wave to my daughter as if she were a toddler on her first carousel ride. Obviously this will cause her to hang her head and turn red with embarrassment. As Liz, as well as her friends, wave back and shout out an occassional "I love you Daddy", I realize that I must have missed school the day Daddy Embarrassment 101 was taught.
It's now late in the day and I've decided that I've had enough of the rides. We set up a meeting location and I give them a couple of hours to roam. They go off for some more excitement while I head off for some relaxation and writing. While sipping a cup of coffee in the Cyber Cafe, I noticed some computers with internet connection so I decided to go on and post it on-site. As I write this I once again realize that I have been blessed with a great daughter who has surrounded herself with equally great friends,
Now the only thing left to do was to load the eight of them in the large rented passenger van, and head for home. Hmmm... I hope Michelle has a glass of wine waiting for me after all.
Say a prayer for somebody today.
Because I love a good roller coaster, I decided to tag along most of the day. Despite my best efforts though, they refuse to be embarrassed by me. As we stand in lines, often 60 - 90 minute waits in the hot sun, they give me high fives, occassionally include me in conversation, and generally make me feel a part of the group. However, when the spinning rides come up, I elect to sit them out (for the benefit of those that would end up in front, or below me). Now I have a chance to do some real "Daddy Damage". I wave to my daughter as if she were a toddler on her first carousel ride. Obviously this will cause her to hang her head and turn red with embarrassment. As Liz, as well as her friends, wave back and shout out an occassional "I love you Daddy", I realize that I must have missed school the day Daddy Embarrassment 101 was taught.
It's now late in the day and I've decided that I've had enough of the rides. We set up a meeting location and I give them a couple of hours to roam. They go off for some more excitement while I head off for some relaxation and writing. While sipping a cup of coffee in the Cyber Cafe, I noticed some computers with internet connection so I decided to go on and post it on-site. As I write this I once again realize that I have been blessed with a great daughter who has surrounded herself with equally great friends,
Now the only thing left to do was to load the eight of them in the large rented passenger van, and head for home. Hmmm... I hope Michelle has a glass of wine waiting for me after all.
Say a prayer for somebody today.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
My Buddy, Our Pal
His name was Danny Phantom Burgess but nobody called him that. Everybody knew him as Danny. He was full of energy and never outgrew his puppy years. He could be exasperating at times, especially when there were other dogs around, but was so friendly the rest of the time that we tended to forget about the difficult times.
In 2004 we finally decided that we wanted to add a dog to our family. We went back and forth on what breed we wanted to go with. Michelle wanted a standard poodle but Lizzy was putting up a fight. It was important that the breed was “poodle-like” so that my allergies wouldn’t be an issue. Then Michelle heard about the Golden-Doodle, a Golden Retriever, and Standard Poodle mix. This seemed an acceptable compromise. Lizzy was comfortable with the choice and our research came up positive. The breed has the hair of the Poodle, good for me, and since the Poodle and Retriever are both considered intelligent dogs, the odds are that the mix would be intelligent. I questioned that fact for a number of years.
Danny quickly displayed a personality that was part mischief, part destructor and pure puppy. He chewed furniture, stole socks and tore around the house. When we went on walks he had this uncanny ability to jump straight up, from a four paws down position, to all four paws about three feet off the ground. Despite our best efforts to train him, we didn’t walk Danny, he allowed us to follow along behind him. The times that I questioned his intelligence came on these walks. He would be on the sniffing trail, and would walk right into a tree. Or he'd jump up, right into a mailbox.
As time went on, his true personality emerged. He loved playing; loved to be petted (particularly belly rubs) and he always wanted to be around us. Sometimes he would bring his toy to me and we would throw, retrieve and return – throw, retrieve and return, until Danny was done. Other times he would come up and either just put his head in our lap, or he’d let us pet him while he slid down to the floor until his belly was exposed and begging to be rubbed. It all meant the same thing – he wanted to be with us, to allow us the pleasure of being with him.
I found out what dog lovers across time have realized: They are the uncomplicated children, they love you unconditionally, comfort you when you are sad and romp with you in joy. At 5 ½ years old, I knew that I had a number of years left to enjoy my buddy. As you may have realized by now, sometimes I don’t have a clue.
Last week, Danny suddenly stopped eating. This wasn’t a big concern at first. Danny has always had one week a year, usually in the summer, where his appetite disappears. We mix up his diet a little; sometimes need to get him on an anti-biotic, and by the end of the week he is as good as new. After a couple of days though he still wasn’t eating and he was showing unusual lethargy. Friday we took him to the vet. After some tests they told us that they were concerned that his liver counts were extremely high and they had us go to CARES, a local animal hospital.
The people at CARES were wonderful, but things went downhill very quickly. To make a sad story less painful, his liver, kidney’s and pancreas quickly failed and we were forced to make the decision that all pet lovers fear. It was time to put Danny out of his pain and discomfort, and put him to sleep. This was painful. I don’t consider myself a crier, unless it’s family or something close to that. I broke down at the deaths of my parents and felt no shame in that. I feel the same way about Danny.
Maybe if Danny were 12 or 13, I could have accepted it. But at 5 ½, I wasn’t ready for this, and neither was the rest of the family. Non pet owners won’t understand, but he was Michelle’s and my other child; the easy one. He was Lizzy’s and Jimmy’s brother. He was a member of our family. When the question came up whether or not we wanted to bring Danny home with us, it was really no question at all. The only question was how does a newly reborn Christian speak at his pet’s burial? I’m going to finish this with a paraphrase of what I said:
“I’m not sure what is appropriate here, and to be honest, I don’t care. However, I believe that when the time comes for me to come home to God, Danny will be there waiting for me with his tail wagging.”
Danny: I do, and will continue to, miss you!
Danny quickly displayed a personality that was part mischief, part destructor and pure puppy. He chewed furniture, stole socks and tore around the house. When we went on walks he had this uncanny ability to jump straight up, from a four paws down position, to all four paws about three feet off the ground. Despite our best efforts to train him, we didn’t walk Danny, he allowed us to follow along behind him. The times that I questioned his intelligence came on these walks. He would be on the sniffing trail, and would walk right into a tree. Or he'd jump up, right into a mailbox.
As time went on, his true personality emerged. He loved playing; loved to be petted (particularly belly rubs) and he always wanted to be around us. Sometimes he would bring his toy to me and we would throw, retrieve and return – throw, retrieve and return, until Danny was done. Other times he would come up and either just put his head in our lap, or he’d let us pet him while he slid down to the floor until his belly was exposed and begging to be rubbed. It all meant the same thing – he wanted to be with us, to allow us the pleasure of being with him.
I found out what dog lovers across time have realized: They are the uncomplicated children, they love you unconditionally, comfort you when you are sad and romp with you in joy. At 5 ½ years old, I knew that I had a number of years left to enjoy my buddy. As you may have realized by now, sometimes I don’t have a clue.
Last week, Danny suddenly stopped eating. This wasn’t a big concern at first. Danny has always had one week a year, usually in the summer, where his appetite disappears. We mix up his diet a little; sometimes need to get him on an anti-biotic, and by the end of the week he is as good as new. After a couple of days though he still wasn’t eating and he was showing unusual lethargy. Friday we took him to the vet. After some tests they told us that they were concerned that his liver counts were extremely high and they had us go to CARES, a local animal hospital.
The people at CARES were wonderful, but things went downhill very quickly. To make a sad story less painful, his liver, kidney’s and pancreas quickly failed and we were forced to make the decision that all pet lovers fear. It was time to put Danny out of his pain and discomfort, and put him to sleep. This was painful. I don’t consider myself a crier, unless it’s family or something close to that. I broke down at the deaths of my parents and felt no shame in that. I feel the same way about Danny.
Maybe if Danny were 12 or 13, I could have accepted it. But at 5 ½, I wasn’t ready for this, and neither was the rest of the family. Non pet owners won’t understand, but he was Michelle’s and my other child; the easy one. He was Lizzy’s and Jimmy’s brother. He was a member of our family. When the question came up whether or not we wanted to bring Danny home with us, it was really no question at all. The only question was how does a newly reborn Christian speak at his pet’s burial? I’m going to finish this with a paraphrase of what I said:
“I’m not sure what is appropriate here, and to be honest, I don’t care. However, I believe that when the time comes for me to come home to God, Danny will be there waiting for me with his tail wagging.”
Danny: I do, and will continue to, miss you!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
House of Worship
There are many churches and Houses of Worship. Some are small, one-room buildings, some are modest facilities that house congregations like ours at Woodside, there are the huge mega churches like Rick Warren’s Saddleback and there are any numbers of places that fall in between. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to see such famous spiritual homes as Notre Dame and Winchester Cathedral. The Vatican, in Rome, is the center of the Roman Catholic Church. Yet none of these can lay claim to being spiritual home to an entire nation. There is only one place that can make that claim: Fenway Park, home of Red Sox Nation.
I wish that I could remember all of the times I’ve been able to “worship” at Fenway. I know there were 2 to 4 times as a child, with my father and brothers. I know there was once when we took my father and brother-in-law. There was the time my step-son, Jim, and I went. And there was that magic night in October 2004 when the Red Sox were down 0-3 to the Yankees and my brother, a friend and I went to game four; the first game of the comeback of the ages leading to the breaking of the 86 year “Curse of the Babe.”
Yesterday I had the opportunity to introduce Lizzy, my 16 year old daughter (I can’t believe I have a 16 year old daughter) to Fenway. I was once again reminded that Fenway is more than just a baseball park; it’s history. Ted, Yaz and Rice patrolled left field for 47 years. Now Jason Bay tries to follow in their footsteps. Big Papi has followed in the tradition of Double X and Boomer, other power hitting big men. And like Pudge before him, V-Tek anchors the plate and commands the field. Only Wrigley Field can challenge Fenway in the history department. While Wrigley is in its 95th year, Fenway is celebrating the 97th year of baseball. There isn’t another park even 50 years old.
And the park itself is special: Pesky’s Pole, the center field triangle, and of course, that most famous of ballpark features: The Green Monstah. And these aren’t creations of an architect trying to come up with new “oddities” to make a newly created ballpark more commercially successful. Fenway Park’s features came from a need to fit a playing field into a specific plot of land.
Despite a poor showing from the home team (6 to nothing shutout with only two hits) we were fortunate to experience a bit of history ourselves. On July 6, 2009, Nomar Garciaparra, former rookie of the year and fan-favorite of Boston, made his first return to Fenway Park since being traded during the Championship season of 2004. The ovation and outpouring of love that was showered down on “Nomah”, gave us something to remember for a long time. Being able to experience Fenway with my daughter; that’s something I’ll remember forever.
Say a prayer for somebody today.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
I Still Feel Safe!
One of the things that has surprised me the most since I’ve become involved in the prison ministry is the feeling of safety that I’ve had. I know that there are dangers there, but I’ve always felt secure
Even as I heard the door close behind me the first time we entered the prison, I didn’t experience the fear that part of me expected. Last night though, I was reminded of where I was.
I went in to CFCF last night hoping to bring the message to one person, whoever that person would be. We started out with some praise worship with the guys. After a couple of songs, and some prayer, I got up to spend a little time to share. I had just gotten started, had mentioned a blog that I was planning, when Correctional Officer (CO) Harris came into the room. He pointed at Michael and I and said, “Gentlemen, please come with me.” Now we’ve had a few times over the past few months where we said, or did, something minor that was against the rules. But we couldn’t think of anything that we had done. But no matter what; when a CO is giving you instructions, you listen, and follow him without question. Officer Harris took us to the room next door. He told us that there was a “situation” and told us that he was locking us in. We weren’t to leave the room until he, or another CO, came to let us out.
The first thing I said to Michael was, "I think that my planned blog has changed." Michael and I wondered what was going on. After a few minutes questioning the possibilities, we decided to share some prayer. Funny thing though; I believe we spent more time praying for the safety of the men and the CO’s than for our own safety. Despite the possibility of some danger, I still felt as if I were in God’s hands, fully protected.
It probably was less than 10 minutes before Officer Harris came back and led us back to the chapel. When asked whether everything was ok, he replied, “It’s ok now”. The rest of the night went smoothly. I was able to share and Michael spoke a powerful message, as he always does. We had another large exit at 9:30, but I could see that we had reached some of the guys, even some that left early appeared caught up before they walked out. At the very least, maybe we lit lit a spark.
After the service, Officer Hall led us back up the corridor. It was then that we found out that the excitement earlier came from an unannounced drill. None of us, including the CO’s and the inmates, knew that it was only a drill; so the reactions, and actions, were true. Officer Hall told us that their first duty, in any such emergency was to get any citizens to safety, and that was what they had done.
Whether a drill or real, whether we were ever in danger or not, I spent the entire evening in the arms of the Lord. Not beyond all danger, but safe.
2 Timothy 4:17-18
17But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. 18The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Say a prayer for somebody today.
Even as I heard the door close behind me the first time we entered the prison, I didn’t experience the fear that part of me expected. Last night though, I was reminded of where I was.
I went in to CFCF last night hoping to bring the message to one person, whoever that person would be. We started out with some praise worship with the guys. After a couple of songs, and some prayer, I got up to spend a little time to share. I had just gotten started, had mentioned a blog that I was planning, when Correctional Officer (CO) Harris came into the room. He pointed at Michael and I and said, “Gentlemen, please come with me.” Now we’ve had a few times over the past few months where we said, or did, something minor that was against the rules. But we couldn’t think of anything that we had done. But no matter what; when a CO is giving you instructions, you listen, and follow him without question. Officer Harris took us to the room next door. He told us that there was a “situation” and told us that he was locking us in. We weren’t to leave the room until he, or another CO, came to let us out.
The first thing I said to Michael was, "I think that my planned blog has changed." Michael and I wondered what was going on. After a few minutes questioning the possibilities, we decided to share some prayer. Funny thing though; I believe we spent more time praying for the safety of the men and the CO’s than for our own safety. Despite the possibility of some danger, I still felt as if I were in God’s hands, fully protected.
It probably was less than 10 minutes before Officer Harris came back and led us back to the chapel. When asked whether everything was ok, he replied, “It’s ok now”. The rest of the night went smoothly. I was able to share and Michael spoke a powerful message, as he always does. We had another large exit at 9:30, but I could see that we had reached some of the guys, even some that left early appeared caught up before they walked out. At the very least, maybe we lit lit a spark.
After the service, Officer Hall led us back up the corridor. It was then that we found out that the excitement earlier came from an unannounced drill. None of us, including the CO’s and the inmates, knew that it was only a drill; so the reactions, and actions, were true. Officer Hall told us that their first duty, in any such emergency was to get any citizens to safety, and that was what they had done.
Whether a drill or real, whether we were ever in danger or not, I spent the entire evening in the arms of the Lord. Not beyond all danger, but safe.
2 Timothy 4:17-18
17But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. 18The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Say a prayer for somebody today.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Two New Chapters
How many times do you anticipate something and it seems to fall short of your expectations? Your imagination builds up a scenario in your mind, and the actual results end up being disappointing.
This past Tuesday, we were privileged to be able to serve communion to the guys at CFCF. We’ve been looking forward to this for some time now and it was exciting to finally get the chance. So naturally Dan wasn’t able to make it at the last minute. And of course it began to pour just as we pulled into the CFCF parking lot. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when the guard told us that we needed to wait a bit as there was some type of count issue. Fortunately, we got to get down to the chapel before too much time had passed. After we got “prayed up”, we waited for the guys to arrive. And waited…and waited. A couple came in, and then we waited…and waited. For a while it appeared as if we were going to have our first communion service for about 20 guys. Not that that would be terrible. Being able to serve even one would be special.
We began, as usual, with praise worship. By the time we had a couple of songs done, the room was filling up pretty well. While it never filled up completely, well, let’s hold that thought.
We had a big group Tuesday night: Bob, Royce, Michael, Kelli, Dave, Pat and I. Plus there was Shawn & Charles; two of the new guys joining the ministry. Whether it was music, prayer, sharing or distributing & collecting the communion packets, everybody took a part. Pat led the actual sharing of communion.
Earlier I said that the room never filled up completely. I was wrong. The room did fill up; with the Holy Spirit. There was a peace, a feeling of serenity, in the air that I don’t remember feeling before. We have had some times recently when there was “nonsense” going on during service. There was none of that Tuesday night. We didn’t need to keep things under control. Jesus was doing that.
The Holy Spirit can enter in different ways. I have felt it through an outpouring of emotion, a feeling of peace and as an explosion of joy. It doesn’t matter in what way it manifests itself, what matters is the power, and the love, that comes from it.
And then there was Wednesday. A couple of month’s ago we decided to try to expand our ministry, possibly by asking for additional nights or maybe reaching out to other prisons. Within a couple of weeks of making this decision the Chaplain at CFCF gave us the opportunity to take over the first and third Wednesday’s of the month. The Lord does work in mysterious ways.
One of the exciting steps are ministry is taking is the addition of a new group of guys. Bob, Royce, Michael, Michelle and I were met by Shawn and Charles, who were at Tuesday night’s service, and Rob the Preacher (too many Bob’s and Rob’s – I need to differentiate them). These guys are street evangelists and they bring something new to our ministry. Tuesday night was nice. It was serene. Wednesday was not serene. You can’t watch, or listen, to a testimony from Shawn and use the word serene. You might be able get away with nice, but not serene.
I’ll have to admit that I had a hard time following Shawn’s testimony. He was all over the place and at a very high octane delivery. But the men responded in a way that I’ve never seen. Part of it was his connection with their circumstances. He comes from the same background and history that they have. The other part has to be the Holy Spirit. It almost appears as if Shawn has received a message from the Holy Spirit that he wants to deliver, and is trying to get it all out at once; as if the message can’t be contained in his body.
Charles was able to share a short message, and although he is much calmer than Shawn was able to communicate that growing up in a tough area doesn’t necessarily doom yourself to a life of crime and substance abuse, as long as you have Jesus in your life.
Rob spoke the message and he took preaching to another level that I’m not used to. His fire and style was somewhat similar to Bob’s, but there was an outpouring of emotion that often appeared ready to burst out in tears. When he finished the message, guys were reaching out to hug him in appreciation, and joy.
I often leave CFCF feeling somewhat drained from the emotion in the room. It’s a good feeling and usually by the time I get home I’m recharged. It’s almost as if I’ve received and used up the Holy Spirit during the service. The way home seems to refill me, and sometimes I have a tough time relaxing in order to sleep. Wednesday night exhausted me, and yet by the time we got home, Michelle & I had been refilled enough that we stayed up for another couple hours talking about the past two nights.
Say a prayer for somebody today. It’s free.
This past Tuesday, we were privileged to be able to serve communion to the guys at CFCF. We’ve been looking forward to this for some time now and it was exciting to finally get the chance. So naturally Dan wasn’t able to make it at the last minute. And of course it began to pour just as we pulled into the CFCF parking lot. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when the guard told us that we needed to wait a bit as there was some type of count issue. Fortunately, we got to get down to the chapel before too much time had passed. After we got “prayed up”, we waited for the guys to arrive. And waited…and waited. A couple came in, and then we waited…and waited. For a while it appeared as if we were going to have our first communion service for about 20 guys. Not that that would be terrible. Being able to serve even one would be special.
We began, as usual, with praise worship. By the time we had a couple of songs done, the room was filling up pretty well. While it never filled up completely, well, let’s hold that thought.
We had a big group Tuesday night: Bob, Royce, Michael, Kelli, Dave, Pat and I. Plus there was Shawn & Charles; two of the new guys joining the ministry. Whether it was music, prayer, sharing or distributing & collecting the communion packets, everybody took a part. Pat led the actual sharing of communion.
Earlier I said that the room never filled up completely. I was wrong. The room did fill up; with the Holy Spirit. There was a peace, a feeling of serenity, in the air that I don’t remember feeling before. We have had some times recently when there was “nonsense” going on during service. There was none of that Tuesday night. We didn’t need to keep things under control. Jesus was doing that.
The Holy Spirit can enter in different ways. I have felt it through an outpouring of emotion, a feeling of peace and as an explosion of joy. It doesn’t matter in what way it manifests itself, what matters is the power, and the love, that comes from it.
And then there was Wednesday. A couple of month’s ago we decided to try to expand our ministry, possibly by asking for additional nights or maybe reaching out to other prisons. Within a couple of weeks of making this decision the Chaplain at CFCF gave us the opportunity to take over the first and third Wednesday’s of the month. The Lord does work in mysterious ways.
One of the exciting steps are ministry is taking is the addition of a new group of guys. Bob, Royce, Michael, Michelle and I were met by Shawn and Charles, who were at Tuesday night’s service, and Rob the Preacher (too many Bob’s and Rob’s – I need to differentiate them). These guys are street evangelists and they bring something new to our ministry. Tuesday night was nice. It was serene. Wednesday was not serene. You can’t watch, or listen, to a testimony from Shawn and use the word serene. You might be able get away with nice, but not serene.
I’ll have to admit that I had a hard time following Shawn’s testimony. He was all over the place and at a very high octane delivery. But the men responded in a way that I’ve never seen. Part of it was his connection with their circumstances. He comes from the same background and history that they have. The other part has to be the Holy Spirit. It almost appears as if Shawn has received a message from the Holy Spirit that he wants to deliver, and is trying to get it all out at once; as if the message can’t be contained in his body.
Charles was able to share a short message, and although he is much calmer than Shawn was able to communicate that growing up in a tough area doesn’t necessarily doom yourself to a life of crime and substance abuse, as long as you have Jesus in your life.
Rob spoke the message and he took preaching to another level that I’m not used to. His fire and style was somewhat similar to Bob’s, but there was an outpouring of emotion that often appeared ready to burst out in tears. When he finished the message, guys were reaching out to hug him in appreciation, and joy.
I often leave CFCF feeling somewhat drained from the emotion in the room. It’s a good feeling and usually by the time I get home I’m recharged. It’s almost as if I’ve received and used up the Holy Spirit during the service. The way home seems to refill me, and sometimes I have a tough time relaxing in order to sleep. Wednesday night exhausted me, and yet by the time we got home, Michelle & I had been refilled enough that we stayed up for another couple hours talking about the past two nights.
Say a prayer for somebody today. It’s free.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Change
Change opens doors. Change is unsettling. Change promotes improvement. Change is disruptive. Change is good. Change is bad.
Individually our perception of change depends upon who is initiating the change, and the way it is done. When you are creating the change, you often view it as a positive. When it is thrust upon you - not so much. I’ve found in the business world that change can be a driving force towards innovation and improvements. But it also causes anxiety among the work force. It is important that the methods and goals are clear in order to explain the necessary change.
Change in relationships can also be tricky. Change that is not understood, or mutual, could be seen as a threat to one, or both. Yet lack of change can lead to complacency, routine, boredom – not great relationship builders. Building a relationship requires growth and an important element of growth is change.
How does change affect your faith? In order to grow in your faith, you must experience some type of change. It is important to try new things, take the extra step to expand your faith and take it to places that may surprise you.
Individually our perception of change depends upon who is initiating the change, and the way it is done. When you are creating the change, you often view it as a positive. When it is thrust upon you - not so much. I’ve found in the business world that change can be a driving force towards innovation and improvements. But it also causes anxiety among the work force. It is important that the methods and goals are clear in order to explain the necessary change.
Change in relationships can also be tricky. Change that is not understood, or mutual, could be seen as a threat to one, or both. Yet lack of change can lead to complacency, routine, boredom – not great relationship builders. Building a relationship requires growth and an important element of growth is change.
How does change affect your faith? In order to grow in your faith, you must experience some type of change. It is important to try new things, take the extra step to expand your faith and take it to places that may surprise you.
2 Peter 3:18
18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen
Joining the prison ministry was quite a leap for our small, couples, bible study group. But by taking the leap, and not allowing a more conservative thought process to control our “ministry brainstorming”, we have become involved in a ministry that has not only allowed us to be there for men that truly need the love of fellow Christians, but has allowed us to grow and become closer to God.
And yet, when I am confronted with change in an actual worship service, I balk. Is it proper to change from the structure we are used to? I think about Paul’s instructions in 1 Timothy, 6:22-24, “Always start the service with praise and worship, followed by prayer. Finish with a powerful message that that leads the worshippers to accept Christ Jesus into their lives. This is the proper way to worship the Lord.”
Now before you go digging into your bible to find this scripture, I have to admit that I made that verse up (1 Timothy ends at 6:21). But I’ve recently come to understand that the important part of service isn’t the structure, but rather how it allows the participants to become closer to God. I’ve become aware that the Holy Spirit sometimes works in such a way that we are taken on a different direction than we originally intended. Planning isn’t a bad thing, but we need to listen to God in order to follow his directions. Sometimes he takes us on a path that is not what we expect.
If I allow my plans to overrule a direction that God is pointing me because I don’t wish to change, than I have stepped off of my walk with Christ in order to try to lead the way myself. Whenever that happens, I get lost. As the lyrics read in the song, “Empty Me” – “I want more of you and less of me.”
Say a prayer for somebody today.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
"Ores Dies"
Twenty years ago I was earning my living as a public accountant. And every year around this time, many of us were requesting time off to observe our religious holiday. Tax time is a difficult time of year for a public accountant to get time off, but most of the guys didn’t have too tough of a time getting Good Friday off. On the other hand, my request always prompted an argument. “Ores Dies” was not a holiday widely accepted in our firm as a reason to take a day off that close to April 15th. You see, the literal translation of Ores Dies is Opening Day.
Opening Day is still special to me. It signifies to me that winter is truly over, and there are wonderful summer nights ahead. In the last 20 years or so I’ve found that the demands on my time have put football & hockey in the backseat, and removed basketball all together. But baseball is different.
It’s not just that it’s my favorite sport; it’s so much more. It’s exciting, yet it has enough down time to relax, to talk, and to argue. One day it can be an edge of the seat, nail-biting pitcher’s duel. The next day the same two teams can slug out a 16 – 14 run-a-thon. One minute the team star is being booed mercilessly after striking out with bases loaded, an inning later the cheers sound like the stadium will collapse when that same bum crushes a hanging curve for a three run homer.
It’s history, it’s the future. It’s sport, it’s art. It’s childhood, it’s fatherhood. It’s non-definable, yet driven by statistics. Ask any true baseball fan what the following numbers mean: 3000, 500 and 300. They’ll tell you: lifetime hits, home runs and wins. Give me any three numbers from another sport that can say so much. I’ve given up trying to explain first downs to my wife, but ask her who the greatest baseball player of all time is and she’ll immediately respond, "Ted Williams."
And if all of that isn’t enough for you, than ask yourself why baseball is so important to God. After all, the first four words of the bible are, “In the big inning…”
Say a prayer for somebody today.
Opening Day is still special to me. It signifies to me that winter is truly over, and there are wonderful summer nights ahead. In the last 20 years or so I’ve found that the demands on my time have put football & hockey in the backseat, and removed basketball all together. But baseball is different.
It’s not just that it’s my favorite sport; it’s so much more. It’s exciting, yet it has enough down time to relax, to talk, and to argue. One day it can be an edge of the seat, nail-biting pitcher’s duel. The next day the same two teams can slug out a 16 – 14 run-a-thon. One minute the team star is being booed mercilessly after striking out with bases loaded, an inning later the cheers sound like the stadium will collapse when that same bum crushes a hanging curve for a three run homer.
It’s history, it’s the future. It’s sport, it’s art. It’s childhood, it’s fatherhood. It’s non-definable, yet driven by statistics. Ask any true baseball fan what the following numbers mean: 3000, 500 and 300. They’ll tell you: lifetime hits, home runs and wins. Give me any three numbers from another sport that can say so much. I’ve given up trying to explain first downs to my wife, but ask her who the greatest baseball player of all time is and she’ll immediately respond, "Ted Williams."
And if all of that isn’t enough for you, than ask yourself why baseball is so important to God. After all, the first four words of the bible are, “In the big inning…”
Say a prayer for somebody today.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Attitude
Halleluiah! Praise the Lord! Wow! Every Tuesday that I go into the prison is an uplifting experience. But to use a sports metaphor: Tonight went into overtime. From the very beginning, Dan was chock full of attitude. He stepped up for Woodside when our fearless leader, suggested that we could be intimidated. He made it clear that while we were not from the streets, we could show street “chutzpah”.
After a couple of early songs, that Michael led us in, Bob asked the guys to stand up and pray for our ministry. This reinforced the fact that while we may be there ministering to them, they give us back so much in return! We feed off of each other. Ray gave us great love in his prayer.
After that Bob was very exuberant in his worship. Leading our worship, for our Lord. The energy tonight! It was different, it was rocking, and it was loud! As Bob described after the service, “I wanted to sing badly tonight” (By the way: A few of us pointed out that he succeeded in his desire). It was effective though.
“Biker Bob” spoke the message tonight. He had a connection with the men that I cannot match, that I will never try to equal. It comes from spending so much of his time on the street. The guys felt it and I could tell that they were moved by it. Except for the years as a parent of a young child, when references to “the street” meant Sesame Street, the street to me has always been something to ride a bike or a car.
At one point, I guess Bob realized he hadn’t been on the mike for some twenty minutes or so and came forward to chastise some of the men for leaving early. This rattled “Biker Bob” a little. I think he thought Bob was pulling the plug on him. Or, as the old saying goes, being gonged. It did stem the flow of men leaving. Bob recovered well and tied up his message.
At the end of the night, when it was time to come forward, I believe over a dozen came forward. As Royce read the final prayer, Pat, Dave, Dan & I all felt that additional contributions from us just weren’t necessary tonight. Just being there was enough.
After service a huge number of guys came forward to talk to us. The path that Christ has placed us on is truly incredible. I joke about tonight’s service, but it was truly powerful. All I can say is that God has found a way to work through our ministry. Whether there are two or twelve of us, we are ready to follow wherever the Lord leads us.
Say a prayer for somebody today.
After a couple of early songs, that Michael led us in, Bob asked the guys to stand up and pray for our ministry. This reinforced the fact that while we may be there ministering to them, they give us back so much in return! We feed off of each other. Ray gave us great love in his prayer.
After that Bob was very exuberant in his worship. Leading our worship, for our Lord. The energy tonight! It was different, it was rocking, and it was loud! As Bob described after the service, “I wanted to sing badly tonight” (By the way: A few of us pointed out that he succeeded in his desire). It was effective though.
“Biker Bob” spoke the message tonight. He had a connection with the men that I cannot match, that I will never try to equal. It comes from spending so much of his time on the street. The guys felt it and I could tell that they were moved by it. Except for the years as a parent of a young child, when references to “the street” meant Sesame Street, the street to me has always been something to ride a bike or a car.
At one point, I guess Bob realized he hadn’t been on the mike for some twenty minutes or so and came forward to chastise some of the men for leaving early. This rattled “Biker Bob” a little. I think he thought Bob was pulling the plug on him. Or, as the old saying goes, being gonged. It did stem the flow of men leaving. Bob recovered well and tied up his message.
At the end of the night, when it was time to come forward, I believe over a dozen came forward. As Royce read the final prayer, Pat, Dave, Dan & I all felt that additional contributions from us just weren’t necessary tonight. Just being there was enough.
After service a huge number of guys came forward to talk to us. The path that Christ has placed us on is truly incredible. I joke about tonight’s service, but it was truly powerful. All I can say is that God has found a way to work through our ministry. Whether there are two or twelve of us, we are ready to follow wherever the Lord leads us.
Say a prayer for somebody today.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
See You Later
We said good bye to Chris tonight. Maybe not forever, but probably for a very long time. I haven't known him very long, and can't even say I know him well. I don't know what his last name is, where he comes from, who his family is or even what his favorite sport is. All I really know about him is that he has a great love for Christ and that at some time he must have done something that I can't begin to understand.
You see, Chris is an inmate at the local prison we visit once a week. For the past few months he's been there every Tuesday that I've been able to get in for worship serice. He has always made it a point to ask me how I am, and if my wife Michelle isn't there, how she's doing. Now I have to admit: sometime I'm not a great judge of peoples character. I often take people at face value and am fooled by their demeanor. However, a friend of mine described Chris as a guy "who if I met on the outside might invite over for dinner". And Michelle, a much better judge of character than me, refers to him as "a nice guy, friendly, considerate and strong in his faith".
So I was surprised a few weeks ago when he informed us that he had been convicted at his trial and was now facing a life sentence. Based on the sentence, I can guess at what he must have done. Yet somehow, this conservative, tough on crime republican, isn't happy that he "got what he deserved". I feel sympathy and concern. Why? Because he has given his life to Christ. It's not phoney. There are no judges, or probation officer's in that chapel, so he's not putting on an act. He has a love for Jesus that all of us have recognized.
He seems resigned to his future. Maybe he's read Exodus 34:7 - "maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished". Maybe he understands that he must pay for his actions, but that God forgives the repentant sinner. Maybe he is living the Serenity Prayer, one of my favorites: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference."
I can only hope that wherever he goes he continues to carry his faith with him and does whatever he can to bring the story of the sacrifice of Christ in all of his travels.
An amazing thing happened this week. Last week, Chris told me that this would be his last service at the prison. That the following Thursday, he would be heading on to his new "home". When I told Michelle that, she was disappointed that she wouldn't be able to be there. Yet two days later we get an e-mail from our daughters' dance teacher that there would be no classes this Tuesday. Michelle was able to come with me this week, and was able to worship one more time with Chris.
Good Luck Chris. We're praying for you.
Say a prayer for somebody today.
You see, Chris is an inmate at the local prison we visit once a week. For the past few months he's been there every Tuesday that I've been able to get in for worship serice. He has always made it a point to ask me how I am, and if my wife Michelle isn't there, how she's doing. Now I have to admit: sometime I'm not a great judge of peoples character. I often take people at face value and am fooled by their demeanor. However, a friend of mine described Chris as a guy "who if I met on the outside might invite over for dinner". And Michelle, a much better judge of character than me, refers to him as "a nice guy, friendly, considerate and strong in his faith".
So I was surprised a few weeks ago when he informed us that he had been convicted at his trial and was now facing a life sentence. Based on the sentence, I can guess at what he must have done. Yet somehow, this conservative, tough on crime republican, isn't happy that he "got what he deserved". I feel sympathy and concern. Why? Because he has given his life to Christ. It's not phoney. There are no judges, or probation officer's in that chapel, so he's not putting on an act. He has a love for Jesus that all of us have recognized.
He seems resigned to his future. Maybe he's read Exodus 34:7 - "maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished". Maybe he understands that he must pay for his actions, but that God forgives the repentant sinner. Maybe he is living the Serenity Prayer, one of my favorites: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference."
I can only hope that wherever he goes he continues to carry his faith with him and does whatever he can to bring the story of the sacrifice of Christ in all of his travels.
An amazing thing happened this week. Last week, Chris told me that this would be his last service at the prison. That the following Thursday, he would be heading on to his new "home". When I told Michelle that, she was disappointed that she wouldn't be able to be there. Yet two days later we get an e-mail from our daughters' dance teacher that there would be no classes this Tuesday. Michelle was able to come with me this week, and was able to worship one more time with Chris.
Good Luck Chris. We're praying for you.
Say a prayer for somebody today.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
The Roadblock
Last week Dan, Cliff and I were getting ready to head out for the Tuesday night service when my cell phone rang. It was Bob. Now when Bob calls at 6:45 Tuesday night, it’s usually with the news that the service has been cancelled. Since this was to be only the second time that I was going to be giving the message, I was a little down as I answered the phone. The call went something like this:
“Hey Bob.”
“Scott. How you doing?”
“I’m good. What’s going on?”
“Are you, Dan and Dave heading down?”
“Actually, Dan, Cliff and I. Maybe Dave.”
“OK. Well Royce and Michael are both home sick in bed. And I’m not feeling too well either. Are you guys up for running things yourselves tonight?”
“Uhh, I guess so.”
“You sure?”
“No. I mean yeah. I think we’d be ok.”
“Let the guys run the praise worship, maybe give a testimonial or two, read some scripture – anything to fill the time before you do the message. You ok with that?”
“Yeah. No problem. We’ll be fine.”
“Ok. Good luck. Call me at the end of the night and let me know how it goes.”
“All right. We’ll see you.”
I disconnected and looked at Cliff. He asked, “Are we on our own tonight?” “Yes we are”, I replied.
When Dan came back into the room, we let him know. There was a moment of quiet while the three of us, plus Kelli, took it in.
You see, the service we were going to now lead was at CFCF, a maximum-security facility, and “the guys” Bob suggested we have run the praise worship, would be the 65 to 85 men incarcerated there, that come to worship with us every week. We had been going down there and participating in this ministry for over a year, but had always had the other guys running it, or were there for support the one time we did lead the service. This would be the first time we were doing it alone.
I could feel the nervous tension as we got in Dan’s car and headed out. But within a few minutes, we began talking. About what my message was going to be. How they could help with prayer, sharing and scripture. We even called tech support (Kelli) to get an Old Testament scripture we could use that would fit in right. By the time we got to the facility, we knew that we would be fine.
We met Pat inside. Pat is even newer than we are. He had only been to a couple of services and was really still just getting his feet wet. However, he agreed to take a part and spend a few minutes of share time.
While Dan and Pat went to the lockers to put our stuff away, the guard at the front desk came over. He told us that the CO down at the chapel had some bad news. They were having some cross-count problems. We weren’t going to be able to get in tonight. In thirty-five minutes we had gone from anxiety to anticipation to disappointment.
As we left, we talked about what a letdown it was. As we prayed in the parking lot, the recurring theme seemed to be the roadblock that the enemy had set for us that night. However, we were also united in the knowledge that it was a temporary thing and that the Lord would support us and that we would keep coming back. No defeat, just a roadblock.
It was the next day when it struck me.
It hadn’t been the enemy that had stopped us. He doesn’t work that way. He doesn’t bring direct confrontation to the table. If he tried that, the battle would be over almost as soon as it began. He works in other ways. He deals in fear, deceit and confusion. He had been in the car at the beginning of the drive down, throwing doubt and fear in our minds. He tried to make us think that we couldn’t handle it; that the Lord wouldn’t be there to give us our strength. He was wrong and we escorted him out the door, without even realizing it.
I then remembered the passage in Acts 16:6-8.
“6Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.”
I believe it was the Holy Spirit that stopped us last Tuesday. I don’t know why. Maybe he wanted to give me material for the next time I give the message. Whatever the reason, the Spirit decided that we would not get in that night.
The challenge we all face is making the determination of which it is that is setting the roadblocks in our life. We had it easy Tuesday night. It was the enemy that tried to spread the doubt, but the Holy Spirit that kept us out of the chapel that night. Other times it might not be so obvious. When I’m not sure, I turn to the Father in prayer and ask him to give me the wisdom to make that decision. Let him be your guide.
Say a prayer for somebody today.
Scott
“Hey Bob.”
“Scott. How you doing?”
“I’m good. What’s going on?”
“Are you, Dan and Dave heading down?”
“Actually, Dan, Cliff and I. Maybe Dave.”
“OK. Well Royce and Michael are both home sick in bed. And I’m not feeling too well either. Are you guys up for running things yourselves tonight?”
“Uhh, I guess so.”
“You sure?”
“No. I mean yeah. I think we’d be ok.”
“Let the guys run the praise worship, maybe give a testimonial or two, read some scripture – anything to fill the time before you do the message. You ok with that?”
“Yeah. No problem. We’ll be fine.”
“Ok. Good luck. Call me at the end of the night and let me know how it goes.”
“All right. We’ll see you.”
I disconnected and looked at Cliff. He asked, “Are we on our own tonight?” “Yes we are”, I replied.
When Dan came back into the room, we let him know. There was a moment of quiet while the three of us, plus Kelli, took it in.
You see, the service we were going to now lead was at CFCF, a maximum-security facility, and “the guys” Bob suggested we have run the praise worship, would be the 65 to 85 men incarcerated there, that come to worship with us every week. We had been going down there and participating in this ministry for over a year, but had always had the other guys running it, or were there for support the one time we did lead the service. This would be the first time we were doing it alone.
I could feel the nervous tension as we got in Dan’s car and headed out. But within a few minutes, we began talking. About what my message was going to be. How they could help with prayer, sharing and scripture. We even called tech support (Kelli) to get an Old Testament scripture we could use that would fit in right. By the time we got to the facility, we knew that we would be fine.
We met Pat inside. Pat is even newer than we are. He had only been to a couple of services and was really still just getting his feet wet. However, he agreed to take a part and spend a few minutes of share time.
While Dan and Pat went to the lockers to put our stuff away, the guard at the front desk came over. He told us that the CO down at the chapel had some bad news. They were having some cross-count problems. We weren’t going to be able to get in tonight. In thirty-five minutes we had gone from anxiety to anticipation to disappointment.
As we left, we talked about what a letdown it was. As we prayed in the parking lot, the recurring theme seemed to be the roadblock that the enemy had set for us that night. However, we were also united in the knowledge that it was a temporary thing and that the Lord would support us and that we would keep coming back. No defeat, just a roadblock.
It was the next day when it struck me.
It hadn’t been the enemy that had stopped us. He doesn’t work that way. He doesn’t bring direct confrontation to the table. If he tried that, the battle would be over almost as soon as it began. He works in other ways. He deals in fear, deceit and confusion. He had been in the car at the beginning of the drive down, throwing doubt and fear in our minds. He tried to make us think that we couldn’t handle it; that the Lord wouldn’t be there to give us our strength. He was wrong and we escorted him out the door, without even realizing it.
I then remembered the passage in Acts 16:6-8.
“6Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.”
I believe it was the Holy Spirit that stopped us last Tuesday. I don’t know why. Maybe he wanted to give me material for the next time I give the message. Whatever the reason, the Spirit decided that we would not get in that night.
The challenge we all face is making the determination of which it is that is setting the roadblocks in our life. We had it easy Tuesday night. It was the enemy that tried to spread the doubt, but the Holy Spirit that kept us out of the chapel that night. Other times it might not be so obvious. When I’m not sure, I turn to the Father in prayer and ask him to give me the wisdom to make that decision. Let him be your guide.
Say a prayer for somebody today.
Scott
Friday, February 6, 2009
Stimulus
We are not even one month into this administration and what have we seen:
1. A President, who after being elected into office, continues to campaign against the previous administration crying about the ridiculously high National Debt.
2. In his 1st month, wants to double that debt. Even though there are no guarantees that this will solve our economic problems. Hey, if it doesn't work we'll just spend another $800 billion.
3. Doesn't seem to grasp the basic concept that our economy is largely based on consumer confidence. (I thought that most 9th grade economics courses explained that.) I'm not sure but the terms disaster, crisis and catostrophic aren't usually used as positives.
4. Don't even get me started on the whole cabinet issue. Let's just remember one of Biden's phrases: "It's patriotic to want to pay more taxes." Or did he mean, "It's patriotic, for you, to want to pay more taxes."
1. A President, who after being elected into office, continues to campaign against the previous administration crying about the ridiculously high National Debt.
2. In his 1st month, wants to double that debt. Even though there are no guarantees that this will solve our economic problems. Hey, if it doesn't work we'll just spend another $800 billion.
3. Doesn't seem to grasp the basic concept that our economy is largely based on consumer confidence. (I thought that most 9th grade economics courses explained that.) I'm not sure but the terms disaster, crisis and catostrophic aren't usually used as positives.
4. Don't even get me started on the whole cabinet issue. Let's just remember one of Biden's phrases: "It's patriotic to want to pay more taxes." Or did he mean, "It's patriotic, for you, to want to pay more taxes."
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