Sunday, December 28, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening (Christmas edition)

A very real God came to a very real world to very real people. That is the Christmas message. We dare to believe that God is much more than a human invention. God is! We dare to believe God steps to earth and gets involved with the whole of creation. We dare to believe that the characters in our story - Mary, Joseph, shepherds and many others - were very real people who experienced something divine that rocked their world. We dare to believe that our very real God continues to step into this very real world and into our lives. The continual appearing of God in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit touches us and redeems us. We witness many signs of God's appearing in our world and in our lives. One sign. Over 2000 people joined for worship on Christmas Eve. Another sign. Over $33,000 was given to "feed Northland kids." Yet another sign. A teenager gave all his "Christmas money" to help others. (Generosity) Even yet another sign. People continued to gather on the weekend immediately following Christmas - worship. It has been yet another great Christmas at Platte Woods UMC. This caps off a very good year in the life of our church. I look forward to sharing details of our witness and ministry in the next few weeks. Now we prepare for the next step along God's path for us. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Next comes Christmas! Recently I had a brief conversation with one of our members who commented on being at a Christmas Eve service a couple of years ago. He said it made him feel like he was 8 years old again! I keep thinking about that. There was certainly nothing like Christmas when we were 8 years old. Many of us remember the traditions. With our family Christmas Eve started at church. We always had our children's Christmas program on Christmas Eve. I am not sure how many times I went through the Christmas Story as a shepherd or a star or some other character. Somewhere in that time we would have a visit from Santa! I would take with me the brown paper sack with some hard Christmas candy, some walnuts (they filled up the sack) and an orange. When we left our church family it was on to my grandparents for a meal of oyster stew. Then it was my job to crawl around the tree and distribute a present to everyone. Then it was home for what seemed like the "longest night of the year." By the way...As I write this we are embarking on the longest night of the year. Somewhere I read it is going to be the longest night in the history of earth! The sun goes down earlier and comes up later than any other day. It is the longest night - the Winter Solstice. But there is a good part of this. We are turning the corner. Tomorrow the days will begin to last a little longer. The first day of winter moves forward with the promise of spring coming back around. We are heading in the right direction! When I was 8 years old we had a way of shortening the longest night. We just got up ridiculously early! Then the joy would continue. Christmas. Make Christmas Eve service part of your Christmas. It is a time to sing our favorite carols. We will share the Christmas Story. We light the Christ Candle. We share at the Table of the Lord. We light a candle and sing Silent Night. We take the darkness of night and turn it into a night of joy where heaven touches earth and stirs our hearts. We have services beginning at 3:00 p.m. with our children/family service. We follow with 2 services at 5:00 and 7:00 and then a service at 9:00 and 11:00. I am stirring up the 8 year old in me once again. I can hardly wait for Christmas Eve! See you then. It's been a great day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

First of all I made up with Starbucks this week. Just a misunderstanding. Seems that when I updated my card with a new expiration date not everything in their records matched what I had put in my account. Oops. So it was really on me. The support people I talked to (yes, I did reach out) walked me through the process and checked everything. Now I am good to go. It helped that I decided not to be stubborn or petty. I was both when things were not working like I wanted/expected. There were people eager and waiting to help. Do you want an application to faith and Church? There are a number of points I could make but here is the one for now. The Church is filled with people who want to help. We want to help you walk through struggles and questions. We want to encourage you in your faith. We want to be there when you find yourself working through various issues. We want to be your church. We want to be your spiritual family. We want to walk with you in a life of discipleship. I am glad to be back with a coffee shop. I pray we all be in great standing with the Lord. On another point... The Wesleyan Choir shared the Christmas Cantata this weekend. It was great. We felt the Spirit in the message and music. Thanks to Walter Bryant and all the musicians and the choir members. Joy rang out. It's been a good day (I might say a very good day). I hope you've had a good day too. Oh, one more thing. Be sure to invite (and bring) someone to Christmas Eve services. We start at 3:00 and continue through the night. It promises to be a great time of celebrating the birth of our Savior. See you then. steve

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

I think I am breaking up with Starbucks! For the past 11 years I have enjoyed Starbucks coffee. I have picked it up through drive-throughs. I have gotten it to go. I have enjoyed sitting and reading and conversing with others. I get coffee beans to take home and grind. I have read Howard Schult's book on Starbucks. I have read other books about Starbucks. I have used them in sermon illustrations! I have been loyal. I keep paying a crazy amount for a cup of coffee. I have not stopped liking Starbucks. I may in fact still drop in once in a while. But it looks like I am done as a regular Starbucks consumer. It was not a really awful thing that happened. It came time to reload my card. I do enjoy taking my iPhone and paying right there. Anyway it was time to reload. So I clicked on. I even know my password! I got a message. I needed to update my card. I put in my new expiration date. Then I was denied. So I tried again...and again...and again...I emailed their customer service. They were sorry. Try another card. I do not want to try another card. There is no reason this should not work. I tried some more. Still rejected! So I have decided to move along. It may sound petty. Am I just stubborn? But can't a guy expect basic customer service from a favorite establishment? So now I am grinding Roasterie (or whatever that stuff from Kansas City is). I am not opposed to coming back some day. If they get this thing straightened out and I can use my "gold card" I could be back. I will still drop in some. If I have a Starbuck card for a stocking stuffer it will not be wasted. But a regular customer? I am not sure. Then it hit me. There are a number of people who have a similar experience with the Church. It's just some little thing but it hits us wrong. Loyalty turns to "done". People are not really mad. They are just let down. People don't stop believing in God. (I still drink coffee!) They simply cease participating in worship. Loyalty is not a value anymore. People may drop by once in a while but those days of serving, giving and attending become a thing of the past. This hits me. I do not want anyone becoming a "done" with regard to the church and especially faith in Christ. Should I go ahead and just load another card? Does it really matter? Am I just being hard to get along with? Am I being stubborn? Will I really give up something good that I enjoy just because? Time will tell. In spite of that... It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

I continue to think about Eugene Peterson's distinction between "wish" and "hope." Wish reflects our projection of our own wants, desires and needs into the future. Perhaps we extend our "wish list" to God. On the positive side an exercise like this could morph into vision. A wish list committed to God trusts His divine wisdom regarding what happens. On the other hand we could find ourselves spending our time in wishful thinking. That is more of a day dream and time consumer. It will probably not end in great satisfaction. So we should not spend time wishing we would win the lottery and find ourselves really rich. Hope, on the other hand originates with God. Hope is what God etches on the heart of all people. Hope sustains us in difficulty. Hope encourages us daily. Hope creates confidence that God will never forget us. Hope assures us that wherever we go and whatever we encounter God will already be there to meet us. There are great implications for God initiated hope. We know God is with us day by day. We are confident that God will sustain us in and through all seasons of life. We discover an abiding faith that even our ultimate future is secure in the grace of God. Hope. It's been a good day. I HOPE you've had a good day as well. steve

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Next weekend we begin Advent. This is the season in the Christian year when we prepare for the coming of Christ. We will be taking a look at various themes such as the Second Coming of Christ, the promise of God's redemptive action through the stories of Joseph and Mary and of course the birth of our Savior. There are key words that are emphasized in Advent. We consider Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. This year our series is An Aluminum Tree Christmas. You may remember those. In the mid 1960's the "modern age" created a new version of Christmas tree. Aluminum trees with color wheels were a short-lived experiment. In the next few weeks we will build on these themes. First up will be a "Future Christmas.' Then comes a "Vintage Christmas." We then worship with our Wesleyan Choir with our annual Christmas cantata. That will be followed with a "Present Christmas." On Christmas Eve we will gather for an "Authentic Christmas." It promises to be a joyful time in the life of our church. I look forward to being with you through Advent. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Friday, November 21, 2014

Praying for Ferguson

We are anticipating the grand jury findings to be released soon. Ferguson, Mo. is being watched by people all over the world. I am certainly at a loss to fully grasp the entirety of the situation but feel a strong need to remember all the people involved in prayer. Rev. Willis Johnson is our United Methodist pastor serving Well Spring UMC in Ferguson. I would ask everyone to pray for Willis as he stands in the midst of the pain, anger and hope. This situation seems so far away and yet it is directly in our minds. Like many of you I have conflicting feelings. Being a white male living in the suburbs I have no idea what it is like to be a minority person experiencing life in Ferguson, Mo. I have always (and continue) to respect and appreciate the police. I know current and former police officers who I have the deepest respect for. My perspective has always been that they do a tremendous public service and put their lives on the line for our benefit. However there are many whose experience is much different. I realize that in the Black community father's must teach their sons and daughters how to avoid or how to respond to the police. That experience is far removed from my own and most of the members of our congregation. Let me simply say there are different perspectives regarding what must take place in Ferguson, Mo. There are some things I am confident should be done. Number one is pray for peace. No one wants a violent situation to break out. Number two is listen to the cry of any who are oppressed. There are voices that must be heard. May they ring out with clarity and contribute to peace and a better world. While we await the outcome of the grand jury I invite you to prayerfully seek the Prince of Peace. Surely the risen Lord has all the people involved inscribed on his heart. I am praying the Holy Spirit cause justice and peace to rise up. Could we set aside our personal thoughts and perspectives and ask that God's grace reach all people? Praying for hope, understanding, justice and peace. Still searching for answers and the best response. Steve

Sunday, November 16, 2014

I have noticed something in my devotional reading the week. I keep being sent to scriptures that I have been praying through over the last several months. One scripture referenced a passage I have been praying with regard to our building program. It fits with the idea of buildings honoring God. I Chronicles 29 give some interesting descriptions. How might this apply to what we are in the process of doing? I was directed to the passage in Ephesians talking about God doing abundantly more than we can ask or imagine. Frankly that is a passage I have been praying for our church since I was first appointed here. In addition I pray this for our generosity. May we express generosity abundantly more than we might ask or imagine. I do not think the YouVersion Bible Ap has been listening in on my prayers. I do think God listens when we pray. I do believe God speaks to us in many ways including though the scriptures He leads us to read. I do think God intersects our prayers, hopes and dreams with His Spirit. I do think God corrects us when we need correction. I do believe God confirms us when our hearts and minds need encouragement. So this has been a good week of searching the scriptures. It has been a week of affirmation. I pray the same grace for you. Listen for God. Peer into His Word. God continues to speak today. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

We are talking about Generosity this month. In talking about generosity and how it relates to the church I am pointing out two different philosophies. The more traditional way churches seem to operate would be from a commitment to "limit increase". The conversation usually begins with how much did we get last year? How may we hold the line on expenditures? Is it possible to decrease the budget this year? What will we do to "limit the increase" if there is one? There is a place for this line of thought. Denominations and even annual conferences tend to operate in a way that year after year requires a shrinking pool of donors to contribute ever larger amounts. Obviously this cannot go on indefinitely. Thankfully our church is not in that position. We do not have a diminishing pool of generous donors. As a matter of fact we experience healthy change and growth. The other philosophy is driven by a "high expectation" culture. Frankly we Methodist folks do not gravitate toward high expectation. It is something we need to nurture and live into. In a high expectation church people are taught and encouraged to practice generosity. When it comes to budgets the first question is "what is God calling us to do?" Uninformed projections are not helpful. There is still a somewhat fine line between faith and presumption! But it is not difficult to estimate a congregations capacity. I could take our average worship attendance. This is a general figure that denotes the number of people who support the ministry. Actually average attendance is becoming almost as misleading a statistic as membership. We probably have 25% more people attend church in any given month that our averages would indicate. That is because normal attendance patterns are more like once every 4 - 6 weeks than each weekend. But that is another matter to discuss sometime. Once you get the figure that represents your participation it is time to take a look at average household or per capita income in your area. Google average household income in Platte County, Missouri and you will get your range. Multiply your participation number by the average income and you get your total assets to work with. Now figure 10% of that and you see what might be a "high expectation figure." With all this done it is time to step up and discern what God is calling His people to do. We will continue to speak of generosity. Generosity will fuel high expectations. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Today we remembered those who have moved to the Church Triumphant. We recognize All Saints during this weekend. It is always a meaningful moment when I have the honor of reading the names of our people who have died in the year. It is very moving to watch person after person stand to honor loved ones and people who have influenced them. There are always some whose name is read and few if any stand with them. Perhaps they have outlived most of their friends. Maybe they had been unable to participate in the life of the church for several years and simply lost touch with others. There are others whose influence has been tremendous. They touched the lives of many. But there is something we all have in common. God is intimately acquainted with everyone whose name is read. God certainly hears the bell and remembers. Whether well known or known only to a few God knows and deeply loves His people. That is something to celebrate as we remember our loved ones and friends during All Saints. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

We have experienced a wedding weekend in the Breon family. Our son Bobby married Leslie Jones yesterday evening. I had the opportunity to officiate the service. That was a very unique thing to do! Thankfully by God's grace I got through it fine. Weddings have certainly changed over the years. I have heard the story of my mom and dad's "wedding". They went to the Methodist preacher's house (parsonage) for the wedding. It was dad, his brother, mom and her best friend and the preacher. After being pronounced man and wife they went to mom's house where my grandma had fixed lunch! When Cindy and I got married we had a nice but simple service in Cindy's home church, Ohio Street United Methodist in Butler, Mo. Cindy's pastor and mine shared in the ceremony. From the service we went down to the church basement for a cake and punch reception. Things are different today. We had the ceremony and reception in the same place. It was a downtown K.C. venue. It certainly made it easier on the grandparents! It was a true celebration of marriage. I really appreciate what the best man had to say about my son. I loved the part about his true friendship and character. Good to hear! I suppose wedding ceremonies are different all over the world. They have changed down through history. Hopefully there is a common thread that runs through Christian marriage through the ages. "We are gathered together to unite this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony. Which is an honorable estate. Instituted by God and signifying the mystical union which exists between Christ and his Church, which holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence in Cana of Galilee..." Whether in ancient times in a place called Cana, with a family that has had their story told for centuries yet remain unnamed; or a ceremony in a parsonage in 1952, or a church wedding in 1972, or a modern wedding in 2014, the common thread remains Jesus Christ. Last night was another reminder to me that Christ "adorns and beautifies" marriage. For you who live in this "holy estate of matrimony" I pray you experience a renewal of Jesus Christ in your marriage. He continues to "adorn and beautify" today. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

I had a great trip to Guatemala. For the past 25 years Dr. Marty Kanne has travelled to Guatemala and Honduras to work with the poor and be a catalyst for mission projects among these wonderful people. It has been a joy for Platte Woods UMC to share in this work in many places. We have had a part of school, church, medical and even a sewer project! These projects continually touch people and change lives. On our recent trip we shared in a community dedication of a school. It was a joyous occasion. Now children will not have to walk miles to get an education or miss out all together. We were also able to share in a celebration with a church that now has a roof over their heads. We took a trip to the John Wesley School where young people are provided opportunities they would never have without this work. We saw other churches and met many people. It was a full few days. It amazes me what a church can do when someone has a vision and others join in. You make a difference. On another note... Great worship today. Our own Jennifer Simms put together two great videos that contributed greatly to worship. The Royals video to "Centerfield" stirred everyone. (Go Royals!) We ended up today with an offering of the best we have to share. "Give Me Jesus." Thanks again Jennifer for putting images to music and touching our hearts! On yet another note... Did I say GO ROYALS? This has certainly been a fun few weeks. I got to watch the last two innings of the clinching game 4 on a little tv in a room at a hotel in Guatemala that had only 1 set in the whole place! Believe me, cheers went up! It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

When you need a break from your diversions and leisure...This playoff season for the Royals has been pretty crazy. All of Kansas City has missed sleep and that includes me. Night after night we have been watching and hoping and being amazed. I must admit on the Tuesday night Wild Card game I about gave up. At the end of the seventh inning with the Royals behind by four runs I turned to Cindy and said, "I'm going to bed." She said, "you can't go to bed now." I said "if anything happens wake me up." About five minutes later she was shaking me and saying "you've got to see this!" I watched until midnight and celebrated that unlikely victory. I am glad Cindy did not let me miss the excitement. I wonder how many times people find themselves on the verge of giving up on something and no one there to say, "you've got to see this!" I could put a spiritual spin on this. The fact is we all need someone who will not let us go to sleep and miss the adventure and excitement of the Christian life. Who keeps you alert so your prayer life remains vital? Who keeps you awake to the Word of God in the Bible? Who shakes you out of your spiritual sleep? Who cares enough about you to refuse to let you miss the joy and adventure of following Jesus Christ? We share the Christian life with others. We are intended to live our faith in community. We need someone to walk with us in the life of grace. I pray you be that somebody. Together we live the adventure of faith. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

The question of our day was "Are there things so small and so insignificant we should not bother God with them? There are many people who would imagine God not caring or perhaps even being offended were we to bring Him some of these "insignificant" things. Since the Age of the Enlightenment it seems this attitude has grown. It comes down to our image of the nature and character of God. If God is distant and impersonal a case could be made for not bothering God with the supposed insignificant things. But we think differently of God. We believe God to be a personal God and deeply concerned with ALL things in our life. God is very interested in all the circumstances and situations we face. God cares. If this is true we not only may but should involve the Lord in all things in our lives. The option offered is found in a prayer of surrender. "Lord Jesus, be actively and redemptively involved in all areas and aspects of my life." How would your life be different with Jesus Christ deeply involved in all areas of your life? I invite you to give it a try this week. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Several of our staff attended the Church of the Resurrection Leadership Institute this week. As always there were great insights to glean. I appreciated a number of things I heard but in particular some things Leonard Sweet shared. In particular I resonated with his statement: "As I grow older my theology is getting more complex but my faith is getter more simple." In essence he shares that his faith is summed up with "Give Me Jesus." I appreciate the simplicity of faith in Jesus. Is this not where most of us begin our faith journey? "Jesus love me this I know, for the Bible tells me so." We learned about Jesus in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. It seemed so simple. Accept Jesus and he will forgive your sins. (That is an odd concept for an 8 year old but we learned that.) With Jesus in our heart we are promised eternal life in heaven. That is not bad theology. As we grow older it becomes apparent that our childhood faith does not always stand up in the furnace of life experiences. Grown up issues are much more complex. That is why we develop more complex theology as we live life. We find ourselves needing to develop a theology that speaks to economic matters, war, death, loss, fear and the list goes on. We make the discovery that the more we know the less we know. This especially relates to God. The more we learn about God the more we realize how little we understand. Then we find ourselves moving back to faith. It is a simple faith. It is a faith that rests at the heart of our theology. It is faith in Jesus. We continue to look for ways to serve God. We want to be in mission. We want to do justice. We seek to understand. But at the heart of it all is Jesus. "Jesus love me this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong. We are weak but he is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so." It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, September 21, 2014

We have been talking about Compass Point the past three weeks. This is our initiative to enhance spiritual growth. Sometimes we call it intentional faith development. We look for a pathway of discipleship. Here is a little different take on the points of the compass. N - Think of the North Star. Think of what we orient our life around. For us it is Jesus. So the North Point of the compass points to Jesus. He is the object of our worship. We become more and more Christ centered through the North Point of the compass. E - I think of the "wisdom from the East". The magi were "wise men" who travelled from the east to see Jesus. When we think of the E on the compass we think of learning. We will learn how to read and apply the Bible. We will learn how to think about God. We will become more informed followers of Jesus through the East Point of the compass. S - We move around the compass to the South Point. With this one I use my imagination. Think of a southern breeze that refreshes and renews. In our Christian life connecting with other followers of Jesus and living the faith in community is intended to bring that freshness of Spirit that renews. The South Point is one where we connect with Christ and others along the way of Christ. W - The West Point of the compass points toward serving. I imagine the adventure of moving westward in an earlier age. I see the West Point representing mission, service and witness. The W develops us as we serve. These are some different ways to think about what we plan to accomplish in Compass Point. Do not miss out. Use this spiritual compass to plot your course for living the faith. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

The Holy Spirit plays a huge role in our Christian life. Some basic points along this line remind us that when we put our faith in Jesus Christ and trust him as our Savior the Holy Spirit creates what we refer to as the New Birth. That means when we believe in Christ we are born of the Spirit. This is the entrance into the life of grace and sows eternal life in our soul. We do not believe that once a person professes faith in Christ that concludes the story. As a matter of fact we believe that "conversion" is but a first step in the Christian life. We immediately enter into a relationship with God where we will continually be transformed and renewed in the image of God. The Holy Spirit produces divine love in us. We are always experiencing the love of God growing in our lives and gradually we will be perfected in God's love. Contemplate that for a moment! The Holy Spirit also produces holiness in our life. There are more things taking place in our relationship with Christ that we attribute to the work of the Holy Spirit. We are being continually filled with the Spirit. Picture a river of living water that never runs dry. We are being continually filled with this river of life. The Holy Spirit is fashioning us in the love of God. We are filled with love. Our character is being formed. The fruit of the Spirit are becoming defining characteristics of our life. The Holy Spirit is producing holiness. With holiness comes the power of the Holy Spirit as we serve through various spiritual gifts that are given. The Spirit leads and directs our conduct as followers of Jesus. That should give you something to think about as you give thought to your Christian experience and how life in Christ is lived. Recently I thought about the power of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit has power to change our lives. The Spirit gives grace and gifts. There is a power available that is astounding. This calls attention to an important point. Power without love and holiness is not something I want. Power with holiness and love will empower us to make a difference and do our part in transforming the world. With holy love the power of the Spirit is a wonderful thing. So receive the Spirit and continue to nurture God's love and holiness in your life. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

"Indigenization" - defined as "the fact of making something more native; transformation of some service or idea to suit a local culture". A number of years ago mission theory took a shift. There was a move from sending people of one nation to share the gospel with people of another to equipping people in the culture to be reached to share among their native country. (That was a tough sentence. You probably need to read it again). That puts the message in the language and culture of those being reached. This takes other forms. I recently mentioned our practice of taking a secular song and building a service and message around it. That is taking something from the culture we seek to reach and putting it in another culture (Christian) so the message is shared in the language of those we seek to reach. Indigenization! This is a practice that has been going on for some time. In 325 A.D. church leaders convened the Council of Nicea. From this gathering came the Nicene Creed. Feel free to look it up. It's basic thrust regards the nature of Christ. There is a word used that distinguishes orthodox teaching about the person of Christ. It is a Greek word. (You can feel free to look that up too). The point is not to do a Greek grammar lesson. The point is that the word was taken from the secular culture. It was a word used in the pagan world of their day. It was taken and inserted into this early Christian creed. That could have had the effect of making the Nicene Creed indigenous. A familiar word was given a Christian meaning. That is what we do when we seek to communicate the Gospel to a culture that is yet to embrace the faith. We speak in the language of the culture we are reaching. Of course there is a line drawn somewhere between relevance and missing the point. That is our challenge. For now we continue to look for ways to effectively communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ in ways that do not compromise the truth of our message yet more clearly relates to the culture. It's a challenge but also a joy. On another note... Only 15 more Chiefs games to try to sit through this year. But it could be worse. You could be a Cowboys fan! It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

I got a new razor the other day. That may not sound like a big deal but stay with me a moment. I started shaving when I was kid. I was maybe a freshman in high school, I do not really remember. I had to choose the shaving system to use when I started. My dad used a safety razor. Those were the ones with a blade you put in the razor and were what people generally used in those days. I knew a straight edge razor was not for me. I only saw those at the barbershop and never picked one up. But there was a new system on the market when I was starting to shave. The Trac II came along. It was pretty safe and had 2 blades. That was what I started with. Through the years I tried an electric razor. Never liked it. I used different shaving creams. In addition I tried different after shave lotions. Anyone remember High Karate or Jade East? Of course there was Old Spice. I settled on Brut. (Confession: that is what I still use.) Through the years razors and blades have changed. We went from one blade to two blades to three and I'm not sure how many blades get stuck on these things anymore. I would say progressed but I am not sure that would be accurate. What has progressed is the price. What I use now ends up costing about $4.00 per blade. So here is how I came to get a new razor the other day. I kept seeing this ad on Facebook. I generally ignore those but this one kept appearing. Then one day I checked it out. Then I checked it out again. I discovered this was not a hoax. I figured out there was a new razor, cream and blades on the market. So I decided to order from "Harry's." Maybe I just like the looks of the razor. I'm not sure. I just decided to try something different. Besides the blades are $2.00 apiece so it sounded like a decent idea. I got my "Harry's" set last week. I've used it for a week. I must say I am happy with it so far. I may stay with it. I may re-order blades one of these days. But here is why I went to the trouble to tell you all this. Yesterday I got an email from "Katie". She said she was on the Harry's team. She was reaching out to say thanks for supporting Harry's. Then came something that really captured my attention. She said, "You are important to us and I am here to personally help you however I can. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any thoughts or questions about our products. Also if you ever want more blades or shaving cream I'd be more than happy to take care of that for you." Katie then provided her contact information and another thanks. A razor company wants a personal relationship with me just for trying their product! Now here is why I really went to all the trouble to write all this and if you have taken the trouble to read this far now you get the point. Each week people who have become aware of our church make the decision to attend worship. It is usually after a number of exposures to the Church. Here is my question. When someone visits the church could we treat them as well and personally as a razor company does a customer? What if we had a group of people who constituted a follow-up team with those who visit our church? We actually have a system in place to reach out. We do some good things. We deliver a coffee mug. We write a note. We make a phone call. But what if we added someone in addition to staff people who would make a contact and thank someone for visiting and then offer to answer any questions or receive any thoughts the guest may have had? What if someone became the first time visitors support team? I will be sharing this idea with others in the next few days. Don't be surprised if one day in church you get invited to be on the support team for our first time guests. If people can sell razor blades like this we can certainly offer the life of faith in Christ. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Last week Cindy and I spent time in Colorado. I was taking part in a church meeting until Friday noon and then we met our daughter and her husband along with his parents in Georgetown, Colorado. It was a great place to spend a couple of days. It is a fascinating old mining town about an hour west of Denver. I could go into all there is to do but many of you know much more about that than I. But I did realize a couple of things while we were there. I am not sure if it was the altitude or if I was just worn out but by Saturday evening about all I could do was sleep. On Sunday while others headed off to another mountain I hung out around Georgetown. The first thing I realized was churches need to do a great job of letting people know what time they meet. I had seen a Catholic church, an Episcopal church and a Presbyterian church the day before. I was thinking about walking into town and being a Presbyterian but when I finally located their website there were no service times listed. They missed me and I missed them so I walked along a creek and enjoyed my time with God that way. The second thought occurred to me. The plans for that day were pretty specific. They planned to leave by such and such a time; drive to Keystone; take the ski lift up the mountain; hike; eat; ride back down and return to G-Town. It dawned on me that on weekends, especially Sunday's, my schedule is pre-planned. But then it hit me that many people plan their Sunday's and take into consideration many options. There are plans for sports activities, plans for family dinners, trips or other events. There are plans to go places. There are plans to meet people. Sometimes there are plans to go to church. That would be pretty specific. Get up; eat breakfast; take the kids to Sunday School and go to church. So here are my take away's on this. Understand that people come to church very intentionally. When people come give them our best. We plan to provide the most meaningful, relevant and compelling experience possible. Second let's do what we can to help people make going to church their default plan. I believe we were wired for worship. We do all we can to help people live into their growing relationship with the Lord. I loved being in worship this weekend. It was absolutely great to be with you today. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

We have been looking at Jesus' parables in Luke 15. We saw how Jesus teaches us that if there are 99 sheep safe in the fold and one goes missing that the shepherd goes in search of the lost until he finds it. Jesus also tells about a woman with 10 silver coins who finds one missing and then shines a light and sweeps the house until the lost coin is found. The point is God searches for that which is lost. When we talk about the "lost" we are talking about those who are lost from God's intended purpose and place in the heart of God. We refer to those who find themselves separated - by varying degrees - from the love of God. Jesus would make statements like "the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which is lost." Certainly Jesus would not use derogatory terms to refer to anyone but he will do everything to find those who are missing from God's intended purpose and grace. The Church can do no less. Today I referenced John Wesley's words to his preachers...We have nothing to do but save souls. We search for those who are lost to God's purposes. We are charged with the cure of souls. The church is a place where hope rises. The church is a place where wholeness is experienced. The church rejoices when the lost are discovered and saved. We can spend some time thinking of ways to shine the light of truth and grace into a dark world. We can think of ways to sweep and stir up the dust until the lost coins are found. It truly is good news to know we have a God who loves us, searches for us and will not stop until He finds us. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Reflections from Sunday Evening

I made it to Nashville, Tn. a few minutes ago. The flight was delayed (glad not to know why) for over 2 and one-half hours. But here I am. I will be attended a Directors meeting with the General Board of Higher Education for those working with the Course of Study program. Hoping to glean some new insights and gain clearer understanding of the process. On another note... Today was one of those very nice summer days. We have many people travelling and we woke to steady rain throughout the morning. Still we had a significant number of people join for worship. We worshipped. (It was really uplifting today!) We baptized. We received members. We had first time visitors. It was a great day. On another note... Cindy and her sisters hosted a wedding shower for our future daughter-in-law, Leslie Jones. From all reports they had a super time. Wedding day draws closer. On another note... There is a freshness of Spirit in church. I sense it when we meet, when we worship, when we have fellowship with one another. I sense the Spirit stirring when I look upon the congregation. You represent so much. Certainly there are many needs present when we gather - it is an amazing thing for a pastor to look out upon the congregation and see the faithful witness of so many who are also going through a number of struggles. But God is faithful. It is amazing to look upon the congregation and see so many gifted individuals. It is amazing to look upon the congregation and see so many people involved in mission and ministry. It is amazing to look upon the congregation and see so many Christ followers! You make my life amazing! It's been a good day. I trust you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Reflections from Sunday Evening

It seems like the world is boiling over. A 24 hour cease fire between Israel and Hamas may or may not be honored. CNN reported that 52 Christian families left the city of Mosul with only the clothes on their backs. The ultimatum from ISIS was "convert to Islam, pay a fine or face death." Christians and Muslims fight in Africa. Churches are burned. Retaliation follows. There is strife in Egypt. We know of the battles in Syria. People - innocent people - suffer. Tension builds. It would be easy to lose heart. However we dare not give in to the strife and pain all around. We are called to pray. How might we stand in solidarity with Christian brothers and sisters around the world? How will we care for and support God's people in distress? Perhaps we might begin by giving thanks for the peace we enjoy. With great blessings such as we experience come great requirements. Jesus would indicate to us that "to whom much is given much is required." How could this apply to anyone if not us? So we live in peace while brothers and sisters lose possessions, freedom and perhaps even life itself. But we must not lose heart. Listen afresh to the words of Luke 21:28. "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." The Living Translation says it this way. "So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near." The point is we who have the Spirit of the Lord never lose hope. How will we share the hope of Christ with those who suffer? We may not go around the world and save refugees, but there will arise some way to assist them. We may walk across the street and show mercy to one in need. We may offer hope to the struggling. I am sure God will provide opportunity to us as we seek His heart and reach out to those in need. On a different note...We completed our "God on Broadway" series today. I cannot thank our music team, led by Walter Bryant, nearly enough! Each week the music touched our hearts. This is so exciting since a changed heart is a great step toward a changed life! It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Today Alan, Elisha, Reese and Jake Herndon were with us the Sunday before they move to Kansas. Alan and Elisha are not only great members of PWUMC but also one of those families that have become true friends. Alan and I have served together on our conference Board of Ordained Ministry and made many trips back and forth to Columbia, Mo. for meetings. We have had opportunities to share in a number of events and ministries in the Church. I have known Alisha since she was about 3 years old. On our first Sunday at Platte Woods she came up to Cindy and me and asked if we recognized her. When she told me who she was it was a joy. Her mom and dad were serving the Christian Church in Waverly, Mo. when we moved there in 1978. Great friends. Anyway, the Herndon family means a lot to me. Alan has accepted the position of President of the Kansas United Methodist Foundation. It is a great opportunity and he will serve well. Reese pointed out that her dad is the "President" and her mom is the "first lady." Absolutely. It seems to be the nature of life these days. People move around and have a series of new experiences in life. There was another person who came to church today asking me if I knew who she was. She looked familiar but I was at a loss. When she told me, Carolyn Morgan, I could hardly believe it. It was a surprise. Carolyn and her family used to live in Blue Springs and were some of the earliest members of the church we started there. As a matter of fact Carolyn was the first adult baptism in that church. What a great memory. She was visiting in the area today and came to church. Life is filled with great relationships, new and old. It puts things is a different perspective when one of us takes a new step in life. We get reminded that our relationships are not dictated by proximity but rather spirit. Each week I witness new relationships being formed. There are people who come to church for the first time. There are others who have become consistent. There are many who have been here for years. Together we make a pretty amazing place where grace prevails and love is the foundation of our relationships. It's been a really good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

The Christian life is like a stream continually flowing. That is certainly the image we may claim for our personal Christian life. The stream of the Holy Spirit is an everflowing stream of grace, power and love. The Spirit flows with a gentle ripple or sometimes as a fast current. Sometimes the Spirit seems very peaceful and gentle. There are other times the Spirit moves like a white water rapid. The Spirit ebbs and flows continually. We see the Spirit move in and through the Church. The constant factor is that the Spirit never stands still. There is always something new, creative and redemptive moving. We witness this in our church. Last week we had Vacation Bible School. Over 400 children participated along with approximately 150 adult leaders and helpers. The Spirit was moving in the lives of children. Today we bridged children and adults with worship. The Holy Spirit was active in lifting Jesus to the forefront. The Spirit moves. This week 50 young people will be attending Church Camp. It is difficult to explain how the Spirit moves in the hearts and lives of children and youth in a camp setting. We fully anticipate more Spirit stirring this week. In addition to that on Thursday a group from our church will be heading to Honduras for a week. Once again the Spirit is moving. I pray the Spirit move in your life today. That is what we experience. This is what we expect. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

We began our "Musicals" series this weekend. We like to take a few weeks and feature our music ministry. This summer the theme is "Musicals" or "God on Broadway." We started with Les Miserables. The music was outstanding. Thanks to Mark Malone who shared the theme and story line. It was a joy to share with others in looking for the thread of the Gospel in this epic story. When Victor Hugo published Les Miserables in 1862 the arts and literature seemed to have more Christian themes. Les Mis is full of Christianity and the story of a redeemed life. I am not sure what motivates today's arts and literature but when we take a look it is possible to discover threads of the Gospel even today. God is author of all good gifts. God can even use someone who does not set out to advocate for faith to reach people with His Good News. Pretty Amazing This month we take a look at some long standing musicals and search for the Gospel. On another note... Tomorrow we begin Vacation Bible School. At last count we had 412 children signed up. As I spoke with Pastor Jessica she shared that 82 of these children indicate no church home on their registration! That is some of the most exciting news I heard all week. I pray that the Holy Spirit work through this week to draw many to Christ and provide the blessing of Christian community. Join with me in that prayer. It promises to be a super week. This has been a really good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, June 29, 2014

It's been a good weekend and a good day of worship. As I wait to return to church for this evenings NEXT service I am thinking about 3 celebrations that Cindy and I have shared this weekend. There was a celebration of life, an anniversary celebration and a celebration of new beginnings. Yesterday Cindy and I drove to Willard, Mo. (just north of Springfield) for the celebration of life for Rev. Jack Montgomery. Jack was a second career United Methodist pastor who I attended seminary with. Actually there were three of us who attended seminary, served churches near one another and drove back and forth each day. Jack had a great testimony that included an adult conversion experience, the victory of sobriety, and a call to preach. Jack was a great encourager and was instrumental in 10 people hearing and responding to a call to ministry. He was a friend and a person I deeply respected. His was truly a celebration of a life well lived. This afternoon Cindy and I joined with a number of people in the anniversary celebration for Bill and Jean Ohlhausen. Bill and Jean were married in June 1954. Their life together is an inspiration for all who know them. The steady stream of people and the full Memorial Hall are testimony to Bill and Jean and their service in Platte County. It is a great joy to share in an anniversary celebration where we are able to witness the joy of marriage and life together. Bill, Jean and their family are true blessings. The third celebration came this morning as we introduced Jake Schneider and Kyle Butler as our new associate pastors. Their presence in our church represents the celebration of a new beginning. Jake has been serving two churches in Fayette, Mo. and now comes to lead NEXT and our mission program. We celebrate his new beginning and the new opportunities he will bring. Kyle has most recently been serving as an associate pastor in Kearney, Mo. He comes to us to give leadership to our Intentional Faith Development ministries. Kyle will build on the work that has brought us to where we are and provide a new beginning in our discipleship process. So you see it's been a full weekend. A weekend filled with celebrations of faith. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

What if the story of Noah was about God deciding to relate to a corrupted creation and sinful humanity differently. Rather than emphasis upon the judgment of sinners and a corrupt creation could the flood be a means toward restoration, renewal and redemption. In other words, is the Flood an act of grace that promises humanity a second chance? These are some of the ideas we have been thinking about in the current message series. Frankly it has been encouraging as we find our lives intersecting with what God is doing and experiencing our own defining moments. On another note... The celebration for Curtis, Angie and the boys (Andrew & Zach) was great. It was a good crowd. Great sharing. Meaningful moments as we rejoiced in their ministry among us. The cake was pretty good too. I think about it and realize the life of faith we live in the Church is amazing. We are able to hear God's Word read and proclaimed. We worship together. We celebrate changes in life together. We pray together. Sometimes we shed a tear together. Sometimes we laugh uncontrollably together. In Christ we do life together. It is a joy, a blessing and amazing. It's been a great day. I hope you've had a great day too. steve

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

It is a joy to stand before the congregation week after week and see so many faithful followers of Jesus Christ. We may not always feel like it but the fact is we are God's people making a huge difference in the world. We should take heart and trust that God is using people like us to offer a redemptive witness in a needy world. When I think about culture I am convinced that God's people must stand for the best that God provides and against the worst the world produces. In our culture we witness some things that are far from the best God offers. We see a culture of violence. ...a culture of greed. ...a culture of all sorts of "isms". ...a culture of selfishness. ...a culture of death. ...a culture of confusion. ...a culture of exploitation. I could go on and you could list others that detract from God's best. There is good news. God has a people to be light in darkness, salt for savoring and hope in despair. Followers of Christ may be called to build bridges across our cultural divides. Here are a couple of thoughts about how to go about bridging the many divides in our times. First do not be threatened by people who disagree with us. To be non-threatened seek to understand (as best you can) others and be steadfast in that of which you are most convinced as being true. We do not have manuals for living is our specific times and cultures but we do have THE BOOK to lead us on the path of life. Just some thoughts as we rejoice in following, serving and loving Christ. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day as well. steve

Monday, June 9, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening (actually Monday - Annual Conference)

Bishop Schnase annually reminds us of the earliest Methodist conference. John Wesley wrote; "In June 1744, I desired my brother and a few other clergymen to meet me in London, to consider how we should proceed to save our own souls and those who heard us. After some time, I invited the lay preachers that were in the house to meet with us. We conferred together for several days and were much comforted and strengthened thereby." My first experiences with United Methodist Annual Conferences did not fit that style. I was introduced to conference as a time of debate, discussion and division. It was more of a legislative session where the best organized ended up with more votes on a number of issues that left some happy, some angry and many confused. Times have changed. I just returned home from Springfield where the Missouri Conference met from Friday through noon today. There was never a debate or argument on the conference floor. The conference budget (which was decreased slightly) and an initiative to reduce the number of districts was passed in less than 5 minutes. In my early days this would take over 2 hours. Times have changed. We did worship. We had outstanding learning sessions. Adam Hamilton offered great teaching. We enjoyed fellowship with one another. We received our appointments for the coming year. Ginger Pudenz, Christine Tucker-Key and Jessica Richard were re-appointed to PWUMC. Jacob Schneider and Kyle Butler were also appointed to serve at PWUMC. And I was appointed for my 10th year to serve as the senior pastor. We represent over 850 churches. There are 1000 pastors, both active and retired. We agree on many things and strongly disagree with one another on others. But we find ourselves engaged in a common mission to "make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." I felt it was a good conference and furthered our work. My soul was encouraged and in the weeks ahead I trust that many of the ideas and things that touched my soul will be shared so as to touch yours. May we be strengthened and comforted. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Big welcome to Dan and Ashley Cook who joined our church this morning. We always rejoice to receive new people into this faith community. Besides the joy of new people choosing to be part of what God is doing in our church we also have the opportunity to re-think our own commitment and what it means to be part of the Church. We are reminded that we take our place in a historic movement. When we say yes to rejecting evil in whatever forms it presents itself we make a statement of faith that the earliest Christians made. When we affirm the Christian faith as contained in the Scriptures we take our place among Christians from every era of Church history. When we affirm our faith in Jesus Christ we stand in a holy line of faithful followers of Jesus through all ages. When we promise to uphold the church with our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness we join with others to live our faith in Christian community. It is a great thing. Today we were reminded of this faith we profess. On another note...This evening at NEXT Dale and Nina Renee were baptized. We encouraged them as they made their profession of faith in Jesus Christ. New life is being celebrated. On yet another note...At the conclusion of our 11:00 service we recognized Dylan Cole. Dylan completed his time of active duty in the Marine Corps and got home to stay on Friday night. It was an honor to thank Dylan for his service and say welcome home. On still another note...Today was Curtis Olsen's final day to preach and share in worship at Platte Woods Church. He and Angie and the boys will be moving to Columbia to serve a great church - Community UMC. It seems like only yesterday I shared in welcoming Curtis to our staff but it has been 7 years! It has truly been a privilege to share in ministry with Curtis these past years and I wish he and Angie only the best as God opens new avenues of service. So it has been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. blessings, steve

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

I got to pick up in our "#" series. Frankly not too many years ago (and some of us still) looked at that symbol and thought "number sign"or 'lb". But now it stands for "hashtag." Clearly the pace of change touches many areas of life and communication. Anyway today it was #pwcAllin. That is "All in" as in totally committed. It continues to strike me how many of us have faith stories to share. Your experience of Christ is very meaningful to you and I assure you it will be very meaningful to someone else. Your experience of Christ and relationship with God is totally relevant to your life and I assure you it will be totally relevant to another. You are truly engaged with the Lord and your witness will be used to engage another in the life of grace. You need not reach all but you may certainly reach some. We use the idea of twitter because it shows how an idea or message "trends" in many directions and to many people even all over the world. Such is the message of the Gospel. As you share your story the Gospel "trends" to others and bears fruit. So don't forget #pwcAllin God's grace is for all through faith in Jesus Christ. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

It has been nice to have a couple of weeks off. This week Cindy and I got to go to three Royals games. Believe it or not they won all three times. Today was the Royals salute to the Negro League. The teams wore "throw back" uniforms. KC was dressed in Monarch uniforms. The fans even got into the act. This was "dressed to the nines" day. Back when the Monarchs played in Kansas City they were extremely popular with the whole town but especially the Black Community. Preacher's would move Sunday services up an hour so the people would be out in time to get to the baseball game. They went straight from church to the ballpark and would be dressed in their Sunday best. Today many remembered those days and the great ball players of that era by dressing up and enjoying Kansa City baseball. Times have changed. The Negro League is not more. But today baseball is a fully integrated game. Sounds like a good trade to me. Opportunity is extended to many more people than in the days of baseball's Negro League. This is a change that is for the best. Today people do not arrange their Sunday's around church schedules. This trend is not so good. Believe me if it would help I would encourage us to have services at times to make it possible for people to worship and get to the game. Oh, we already do that. So the times have changed. But there is still much joy to be found. There is joy in remembering the great baseball players of the Negro league. There is joy in watching a ball game on a perfect afternoon! There is joy in worship. Above all, there is joy in the Lord. I hope you find more and more ways to experience the joy of the Lord this week. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

I may have made a strategic error. While taking some time away from preaching I asked our "young communicators" to preach. Today Charles Smith brought the message and did an outstanding job. It was not just the "youth guy" teaching the congregation about social media. It was a timely word that lifts burdens from hearts and replaces anxiety with joy. Great job Charles! It says something about the staff PWC is assembling. We have high quality people filling the various positions in our church. I feel somewhat like Andy Stanley who I heard speaking about the high quality of the staff at the church he started and saying he didn't think he could get a job there! I am getting to that point! Truly one of the best parts of being pastor of PWUMC is the daily interaction and work with our staff. I try to surround myself with people who know more than I do. I am definitely not the expert in youth or children's ministry! I try to identify the things I do best and spend the majority of time and energy in those areas. I deeply appreciate various perspectives and encourage those around me to give their best ideas. I seek to encourage our staff as well as maintain accountability. I love to laugh with our staff. There are times when we share burdens. I totally appreciate our staff. On another note... Happy Mother's Day - to everyone who fills the role. In a bit Cindy and I will take my mom and dad to our son-in-laws parents (are you keeping all this straight?) for Mother's Day dinner. It's been a good day. I truly hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

When I was a kid I used to listen to the Kansas City A's on my transistor radio. I listened night after night. I did not ever want to miss a game since the A's would only win 2 or 3 games a week all summer long. I did not want to ever miss it when they won! I could continue this line of thought and report that I am now watching the K.C. Royals on my nice TV as they continue to be non-competitive this weekend. But I won't go there. I will note something else I want to do regularly because I don't want to miss the latest "win." I have been preaching most weekends since the first part of the year. In these days "post Easter" it seems like a great time to step back and let you be blessed by our "young communicators!" So today I was not preaching. On Sunday's like this I often visit another church. It is always good to get new ideas and see how others do things. I was thinking about where I would like to worship today but kept coming back to my favorite church. I wanted to hear Curtis launch our new message series today. #pwcsharpening got things started. Maybe I was just ready to hear from the Lord today but I thought things were great. I just didn't want to miss something really good. And I didn't. #pwcsharpening - do you have 2 or 3 friends who you could tell anything to and not be judged? #pwcsharpening - if you are not being sharpened you are getting dull #pwcsharpening - what sharpens you I trust many of you felt "sharpened" today. In case you are thinking about other ways to get sharpened...Pray - Bible - worship - witness - share It's bent a good day. -- Royals just got their first hit! I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

We do many things in the life of the church. We teach the faith. We worship the Lord. We encourage the struggling. We visit the sick. We challenge the complacent. We care for the lonely. We comfort the mourners. We speak for those without a voice. We serve the poor. We feed the hungry. We work on behalf of the homeless. We plan for the future. We practice generosity. We support and engage in missions. We go to other countries with the love of Christ. We laugh. We cry. We sit around tables and eat donuts. We drink coffee. We form new groups. We meet with young singles. We teach children to worship through dance. We teach the faith through crafts. We teach our children the stories of the Bible. We give youth opportunity to love God through music. We serve in small groups. We help people learn to think about God. We offer programs for senior adults. We engage in these things and many more. Today we shared in what stands out in my mind. Today was Confirmation weekend. 35 students professed their faith in Jesus Christ. Adult leaders spent months working with them to bring them to this place of professing their faith. Youth leaders, Charles and Kat, gave great leadership. There are not enough great things to say about all who work in our Confirmation program. And then I have the privilege of baptizing and confirming these children of God. It is a highlight in our church year. In a real sense all these other things support this real thing - leading people into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In addition to the Confirmnands we also baptized 3 adults this morning, 2 children and 1 baby. Wow. What a day. I hope you were able to experience this great day in some way. It has been a great day. I hope you've had a great day too. steve

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he is risen!" These are the central words of our Easter story. The earliest followers of Jesus Christ were told not to look for Jesus in a tomb because the grave could not hold him. He is risen. It is pretty amazing how we modern people have tendencies to look for life in dead places. I am glad the Royals stopped playing Garth Brooks singing "Looking for love in all the wrong places" during the sixth inning but there is still some truth in the message of that song. As surely as some seek love in wrong places many look for life in the midst of death. People often seek hope, meaning and purpose in life in the wrong places. We look for meaning in money. We look for purpose in gaining high positions. We look for hope in health, work and a host of other sources. But true life is not to be found in these things - even the good things of life. As Christians we have made a discovery. We discover that true life is found in the one who has overcome sin and death. True life is discovered in Jesus Christ. It is a great discovery. When we "seek first the Kingdom of God (which is embodied in Jesus Christ) all these things shall be added as well." That is good news. We gathered today for our Easter celebration. Surely some discovered or re-discovered life and the source of true life, Jesus Christ. As we enter the week expect to run into the one who brings life and is life. The Easter journey continues as we walk by faith with the risen Lord! It's been a good day. I hope you've had a great day too. steve

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

It's been a great weekend. Friday and Saturday our church hosted the weekend session of our Course of Study (education requirement for local pastors). Around 90 pastors met in 5 different classes for learning. The spirit and commitment of these pastors, who serve primarily in our small membership churches, is amazing. I love being around these servants of Christ! It is a blessing to play a role in their education. Contributing to a great weekend were the worship services. The Spirit was alive among us in worship. Two things stand out. The procession of children waving the palm branches were inspiring. They just kept coming! Wow. Along that same line was the toddler who "escaped" from the front of the procession line and bolted to the chancel and to mom who was seated in the choir! That was about as good as it gets! What joy. Another thing about this weekend was my parents move to Assisted Living here in K.C. Cindy, Bobby (our son) and Billy (son-in-law) went down Saturday and moved their things to K.C. By 8:00 p.m. Saturday things were taking shape. This afternoon most of their move was completed and they are getting settled in. It is a blessing to have them near. It was also great having them in church today. With their re-location they are looking for a church! Pressure is on. Today was a joy. Palm Sunday has us off on track for Holy Week. Several opportunities are provided for Holy Week. I hope to see you as we continue to move toward Easter and the joyous celebration of the Resurrection. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Special Offering

I would like to invite anyone to join me in a special Easter offering. We are working with our districts and annual conference to make a significant contribution to our General Church effort for Imagine No Malaria. You may find information on this initiative on our website, the conference website or the general church website -- or hundreds of others places! Here is the background. Last year at annual conference we were challenged to support the denominational effort for Imagine No Malaria. Basically we want to join with other groups and organizations to eradicate malaria in Africa in our time. This is believed to be "doable!" Our district superintendent, who serves the Heartland North (the district where Platte Woods is located) and the Pony Express District made a pledge. He was basing it on the number of churches and geographical area served - it was something that made sense! Anyway the goal is $184,400. We are well on the way as we approach annual conference this spring. So here is my invitation. There a some people I know who have pledged to be "1 Percenters" of the goal. This means some people are giving $1804 to our district initiative for Imagine No Malaria. I am feeling led to be a "1 Percenter!" I will be giving a check for $1804 on Easter Sunday. I would invite other individuals and groups to join in doing the same. Your Sunday School class might seek to make a gift for this amount, or a portion of it. There may be a number of individuals who seek to pool resources and make a 1% gift. There are untold numbers of combinations to reach this goal. On Easter Sunday we will take Not One but Two! Yes Two offerings. The second will be for Imagine No Malaria. If you have any questions feel free to let me know. This may not be for everyone. Many, many of you give above and beyond to support the on-going mission and ministry of our church. Many of you are giving extraordinarily toward our building project. Now we find a challenge to practice even more extravagant generosity. Join me in being a "1 Percenter!" Steve

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Today something happened in my home church, Trinity UMC in Appleton City, Mo. Rev. Ron Beaton shared that this would be the last day Esther Lou and Linda would be playing the piano and organ together. You see after living in Appleton City practically all their lives mom and dad will be moving to K.C. this week. Dad has lived around there his whole life with the exception of a couple of years in the army. He farmed and then sold insurance and real estate for 40 years. He is pretty well known in A.C. Mom taught school in a number of school districts but primarily in Appleton City. She seems to have taught everyone in town! In addition she has taught Bible Studies at church for years and played the piano or organ since she was 14 years old. So you can imagine what it was like when the preacher said they would be moving. Reports are the choir all cried and there was some good emotion among the congregation. This afternoon Cindy and I drove down where they were having a going away event for mom and dad. It was good to see about 100 people come by to express their love and appreciation. I got to visit with some friends. It was a good afternoon. Now we get ready to help mom and dad enter a new phase of life. We all feel good about being closer together and will actually see each other more frequently. This does represent a real change for them. They are not as experienced in this moving business as Cindy and I and my brother John. We have the advantage of knowing that change produces many new friends and experiences. I trust mom and dad will soon enjoy new friends and new experiences as they make their change. It's been a good day. I trust you've had a good day too. blessings, steve

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Today Pastor Christine shared a powerful story in her message. She was one of three pastors in the context of worship in a congregation primarily serving the homeless community of our city. In the midst of worship a man (Ice Pick) came up to her saying he needed to talk to her right then. In his words, "I feel like I need to kill somebody today." When Christine turned from the front row where she and the man were standing and headed up the aisle to a room where they could talk an amazing thing took place. Those in the congregation had no knowledge of the conversation. But when they saw their pastor and this man walking up the aisle a number of homeless men stepped out of the pews and followed them to the room where they could talk. These men stood at the entry to that place like "angels" protecting their pastor. Of course Christine tells it much better but I hope you get the idea. I thought it was a great image. Intuitively men sensed their pastor could be in need and stood in support. It is a good reminder that we are never alone. God can raise up a cadre of homeless men to stand in support. God can provide all the support and encouragement any of us might need. God may also use you and me among the support systems for others. But we are never alone. It was a great reminder for me. I trust you will be encouraged by the image as well. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

I decided not to fill out an NCAA tournament bracket this year. I was very intentional about not filling out the "Buffett Billion" bracket. I thought about it and decided the odds of winning (1:9.2 quintillion) were just too much of a risk that I would win. What would it do to my life to have one billion dollars? After 56% taxes there would be 440 million dollars. After tithing there would be 340 million dollars. What would I do with that much money? Frankly that would cost my the ministry I have been called to and the life God has given. The opportunity to give away most of the money would be pretty cool. But what about the "first one out" (to use an NCAA tournament phrase)? After you pay off the house and any other debts as well as helping your family there would still be more money than I would make in 100 lifetimes. So my day would be spent setting up charitable foundations, managing money and slipping into the worry of trying not to lose what I had. I would have to learn an entirely new set of skills. Frankly the temptation would probably prove to much for me. So I did not want to risk winning. I could have set up our church forever. There are problems with that. If I did that we would soon forget about our own generosity and the spiritual discipline of stewardship. Again, too risky. I've decided that my gift is not making large sums of money. I know people who have been gifted in this way. That is tremendous. My place is to help you be a great rich person. I can help you find how to be generous. I have great respect for the people I know with significant resources. I actually make a very good salary and the majority of people in the world would consider me "very rich." But I am not sure if I would be a great rich person. Proverbs 30:8 sums up what feels right for me. "...Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. (v. 9) Otherwise I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God." There is no question in my mind that riches are better than poverty. (Poverty is a bad thing). Still riches pose unique challenges to followers of Christ. Frankly I have plenty on my plate to give leadership to the church and seek to serve the church in a Spirit-led manner. I don't have time to figure out what to do with millions of dollars. Now should someone desire to give millions of dollars to our church I definitely have some ideas! So there you have it. That's why I did not fill out the "Buffett Billion Brackett." The odds of winning were simply too great and represented more risk that I could take. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. Oops. There went another bracket buster. (Had I filled out a bracket I would not have lasted past Thursday morning!) blessings, steve

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Cough, cough, sputter, sputter. That has been my primary activity the past few days. I remember when I would come down with a cold like this and go "sweat it out." I have run with a fever. (No fever this week.) I have played basketball with a fever. When we were in our early days of marriage Cindy drove me to a basketball tournament where I was referring because I was too sick to drive! Of course I refereed the games. Oh how times change. I could feel this coming on Tuesday morning. I seemed to tire easier during my workout. I had a little scratchy throat. I took a allergy pill hoping to knock it out. (Next time it will be zinc. Thanks Dr. Kimbal.) Following staff meetings Tuesday and lunch I went home and slept for two hours. I never sleep in the day! Then I left the building committee meeting early and went home to bed. I was committed to taking care of myself so I cancelled one appointment and made another with my physician. No strep or flu but surely a cold that was knocking me down. About the best I could do was treat the symptoms so that is what I have been doing. Saturday I was thinking about how I was going to be able to preach four times this weekend and it began to sink in that I was not acting very smart. It dawned on me that I work with a tremendous staff. I fully trust them. So even though I love to preach and that is what really keeps me ticking, why not turn it over to Ginger and Curtis. Our congregation deserves better than my "C" game so I reached out and asked Ginger and Curtis to preach this weekend. Ginger preached Saturday. Curtis preached this morning and Angie preached at NEXT. I am sure everyone was blessed by their "A" game rather than what I had to offer. So now that I have shared the details of my little cold what is this really about? Yesterday I became aware that my friend Bob Farr has spent the last few days in the hospital with cluster headaches. I just saw him last weekend. We are among those who tend to go go go until we are gone gone gone. I recently read Len Sweet's new book, "The Well-Played Life" that basically invites Christians to a life of play. Certainly we work but life consists of much more than how many hours we can work and how much we can get done. God reminded my that we have a great staff and I should never hesitate to welcome them into ministry. I am not indispensable. I am human and susceptible to wearing down. Life is an adventure to be lived fully and joyfully. And on and on and on. So I have embraced a few days to rest and read and stay home and not spread germs to everyone else. (I did manage to share this is Cindy - bless her heart). The days ahead will tell if I have received insight from God. In the meantime I will just recognize that this has not been a bad week. There were some good basketball games on that I would not have normally watched. So in reality it's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. Be well. See you soon. steve

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

It was great to have a good weather day. Our crowd at church reflected people feeling good to get out and come to church. My highlight came during the 11:00 service when during the sermon I noticed a tennis ball roll to the front of the church almost at my feet. I must admit that was a bit of a distraction and rather than trying to ignore it I simple stepped down to the floor and picked it up. I had no idea where it came from but quickly a girls (yes Jordan)dad pointed her out. He gave her up quickly! I noticed a name on the ball. I gave it back and went on with the service. In case anyone wonders why we have tennis balls rolling around the church there is a very good reason. In confirmation class the students get a tennis ball. Their name is written on the ball and another member of the class takes their ball and they become the person they pray for. I picture tennis balls for prayer flying around classrooms but they only roll on the floor in the sanctuary. It seems very appropriate that the tennis ball with a confirmand's name on it would roll forward to the communion rail during worship. This is where we come to meet with God. This is where we come to pray. The symbolism is clear. The confirmation class brings one another forward for prayer! It made for a great day. It is a tremendous joy to serve the people of Platte Woods UMC. Today was yet another reminder of the blessed place we gather to know, worship and serve the Lord. It's been a great day. I hope you've had a great day too. steve

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Well we got most of our church services in this weekend. We actually doubled our usual attendance on Saturday evening. People wanting to be in worship and getting ahead of the anticipated storm. We did cancel 8:15 this morning and sure enough, 5 or 6 people showed up at that time. It is a real struggle when decisions about cancelling church come along. A few years ago it seemed I had to decide on whether or not to have church, Wednesday programming or other scheduled activities more times than usual. I missed every time! But that is another story. The struggle stems from the high value given to worship. We do many things to honor and serve God and others in the life of the church. Worship is central to our life together. We witness for Christ but evangelism without worship only adds numbers. We serve our community and other people but without worship we merely slip into good works. We engage in mission work but without worship we miss the focus of our mission. We seek justice but apart from worship we only effect societal changes. We practice generosity but apart from worship we get reduced to fund raising. Worship. We worship in community. We are not alone. We experience the presence of God. We are filled with the love of God. We express our love and devotion to God. We find encouragement in the life of following Jesus through worship. There are many other things to talk about here. But the point is that worship is central to our life in Christ. We will continue to encourage people to worship. We will continue to seek ways to offer worship in non-traditional ways. (some are not physically able to be with us so we need to take worship to them.) We will continue to seek God and offer worship that is meaningful, relevant and compelling. Worship. I look forward to our next time together as we seek God's grace together. It's been a good day. I trust you have had a good day too. steve

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Bishop Robert Schnase spent time Friday and Saturday with our leadership council and staff. He shared a number of great insights that will contribute to more fruitful ministry here at PWUMC. He offered some very practical suggestions about staffing, staff meetings and developing new ministries. As I listened I recognized many things we are doing well and other things we may improve. Perhaps the most significant learning was the need to continue learning. It is very obvious we do many things extremely well. We could sit back and relax in knowing we are a really good church. But as I look around the room at our leadership and staff it becomes clear that we are not the type of people/church to "settle" for pretty good. I sense a drive to honor God. I sense a drive to reach people for Christ. I sense a drive to step out and put faith to practice. It is a very encouraging feeling. Thanks to Bishop Schnase for sharing with us. I believe his contribution will result in greater fruitfulness for our church. On a practical note we announced today the beginning of a new singles initiative. Jessie Ehly has stepped forward to launch this new ministry. Singles are our focus. The group will probably evolve into single men and women from around 24-39 years of age. We envision a singles Sunday School class (begins next week), mission/service projects and fellowship opportunities. Mostly we envision a place where people may come together and meet Christ and grow in faith! If you are single or know singles get the word around. Now let me use this example to show how we govern at PWUMC. A couple of weeks ago Jessie came to Pastor Ginger with her vision. This week I met with them. Today we announced the launch. There has been a good bit of work behind the scenes and we have generated a nice list of names from our data base. Now Jessie will be making personal contact and we expect a new ministry to launch. Our church provides us the freedom to dream and act. In days gone by a ministry initiative like this would have required "board" approval and who knows what other groups would need to get involved. Our system provides freedom to act when we feel God is leading us. This has some great potential for our future. It's been a really good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

I have been interested in learning some new things about the modern Olympic movement. Today I shared the Olympic goal is to "contribute to building a better and more peaceful world by educating youth through sports..." There is a little more to it than that but hopefully you get the idea. This is the kind of goal that is meant to make a difference. -- build a better and more peaceful world. This is a goal that has focus. Contribute to the better and more peaceful world by educating youth. The focus is upon educating young people. This is a goal that has a method. Contribute to the better and more peaceful world by educating youth through sports. There are books and books written on goal setting. This is another simple way to think about goals. Goals are purposeful, focused and clear in their method. When we think about things like this it becomes part of our thoughts to apply them to various areas of life. Would it make any difference in your life if you identified purpose, focus and method? How might we apply this simple formula to what we do in the life of the Church? Could our programs and ministries have a clear purpose, focus and specific methods? Something to think about. So while you enjoy this final week of the Winter Olympics watch for ideas that could be applied to your life, especially your life of faith. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Thanks to Pastor Ginger for preaching these last two weeks. Who would have taken her for a "gym rat!" From the Super Bowl to the Olympics we find a world caught up in sports. In the next couple of weeks I will take some Olympic goals and values and apply them to our Christian faith. The Olympics have a wonderful goal of "building a better and more peaceful world by educating youth through sports." We may certainly build on that goal. Followers of Jesus Christ are building a better and more peaceful world. We share the faith and God moves in the power of the Spirit. Looking forward to the next couple of weeks. Today we enjoyed the scouts pancake breakfast. It was great to see these young men serving. The scouts and all their adult leaders do their part to help build a better and more peaceful world. We begin to see how we join together to further God's purposes. We preach. We serve. We teach. We learn. We grow in faith. We all do our part to serve God and help build a better and more peaceful world through all the means at our disposal in the power of the Holy Spirit. When we share the faith things change. I recently met a young Chinese man at the St. Paul School of Theology offices. He was looking into enrolling in seminary. I struck up a conversation with him. He told me he was a "seeker." He was not raised as a Christian but now he is looking to become one. I asked him what it would take for him to become a Christian. He told me he was going to read the Bible through three times and then he would be a Christian! That sound good to me but I think we become "Christian" in a different way. I told him to read the resurrection story and believe in Jesus and he would be a Christian! I look forward to running across his path again. Together we share, we love, we witness, we serve...to help build a better more peaceful world...might we say the Kingdom of God. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening (Pre-Super Bowl!)

I was reading a Seth Godin post and was reminded that we are getting ready to watch the Super Bowl which will last around 4 hours and include approximately 11 minutes of actual football action. Manning takes a snap, drops back and throws the ball in less than 3 seconds. If it is caught the receiver will be tackled in another couple of seconds. They put the ball down and head back to the huddle and do it again. In reality the majority of time spent in a football game is planning the next play and regrouping. We could apply this principle to life in a number of ways. There are seasons of life that are spent in preparation for the next phase of life. There are times we must regroup. But think about your life at this moment. Certainly there are many experiences, circumstances and influences that have come together to create this moment. The moment may come and go quickly or it may linger for hours or even days. There will probably be a moment when it becomes time to regroup for the next thing. If we are not careful this sort of life could get hectic! Anyone interested in another perspective? The Scriptures indicate that when we believe in Jesus Christ we enter into something new. The Bible calls it eternal life. This obviously means "eternal life!" But it also refers to quality of life. There will still be times and seasons of preparation and even some regrouping, but life in Christ is constant. Life in Christ is full. (It is not 11 minutes of real life per 4 hour time period!) Life in Christ is redemptive. Life in Christ is forgiven. Life in Christ is forgiving. Life in Christ is rich. Life in Christ is healing. Life in Christ is holy. Life is Christ is joy. Life in Christ is real. Life in Christ is forever. Life in Christ is for now. Life in Christ is love. Life in Christ is hope. Life in Christ is faith. Life in Christ....Receive Christ, receive life now. It's been a great day. I hope you've had a great day too. (Now go ....- Oh who cares who wins!)except my friend Randy Troyer - Broncos! steve

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

We finished this month's message series - "My Bad Church Experience." We got the idea from North Point Community Church several months ago and adapted the idea to our church. As we went through the month people would mention a bad church experience or refer to someone who had an experience that fit the category. This series has helped me resolve to reach out to people with a renewed commitment to helping connect or re-connect people to Jesus Christ through the church. I hope we will all recognize the basic types of people who gather to worship with us each weekend. We have "regular attenders" many of whom have been long-time members or participants in the church. Secondly we have people making "first steps" toward a relationship with God and they take those steps through the church. Thirdly we have people "returning to the faith" from which they have been absent for a season of life. They are taking returning steps to a life of faith through the church. I invite you to join me in walking with people past their "bad church experience." We will not always have all the answers for people. We do not make prescriptions for people to follow that will "fix" their bad church experience. What we may do is walk alongside people in their first steps or returning steps. The other thing we are challenged to do is order our lives in ways that DO NOT contribute to the bad church experience of another. It is very hopeful to recognize that God uses imperfect, flawed people like us to encourage people taking steps to God through faith in Jesus Christ in the context of the church. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Our building committee geared up following the Christmas season. We will be working on refining plans and getting everyone on board for various components of the project. We will be working with audio-visual people soon. I continue to pray that God lead the project. My prayer is that in the same way God provided detail of design for the Tabernacle with Moses in the wilderness and Solomon in building the Temple, God will give us detail of design for this project. That may be a little pressure on our architects. I continue to pray this project be a great vehicle toward fulfilling our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ. On another note... Next Sunday we have our "State of the Church" meeting. In addition to hearing what we have experienced in the past year and where we are today we will also look to the coming year. A little hint; we will talk about staying focused on our mission during a building program and look at generosity. We will also share some reports and elect leadership for the next year. I expect our District Superintendent to share about a conference initiative; "Imagine No Malaria." It should be a well spent hour next Sunday at 4:00 p.n. Today was another good day at church. Good weather sure does wonders for our spirits (and attendance). It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

I spent the past week leading a class on Methodist History. Generally my life is lived in the moment. Like you I plan my week and together our staff puts together plans for the next several weeks and even months. We do practice long range planning but that becomes less essential with the rapid pace of change in our times. It was refreshing to think of things historically. I think about John Wesley's Aldersgate experience where he felt his heart strangely warmed. We consider this a watershed event in John Wesley's life and faith. This took place May 28, 1738. In an historical context Wesley sent his mother a letter 13 years earlier stating his intention to "make religion the chief business of his life." A number of years elapse between commitment and significant faith breakthrough. American Methodism was initiated at the "Christmas Conference" beginning on December 24, 1784. 229 years have passed. What is it like to put things in their historical setting? About 1771 the Methodist people began debating and arguing over the issue of slavery. Finally in 1844 the church divided into the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church South. It took roughly 75 years to make a decision to move in separate directions. Then in 1939 the Methodist Church came back together. It took 95 years to re-unite. A lot takes place over time. When I look at our history it puts current events in a different perspective. Whether we are talking about the United Methodist Church or a broader look at faith we might see that God is always at work. Furthermore God is a God of history and will continue to work through all our ups and downs. Even greater, God is a God of eternity. It tends to put my current issues in a different perspective. We had a great day today. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Reflections From Sunday Evening

It was so cold I saw two dogs with jumper cables trying to get a rabbit started! That is the "cold" joke for the day. I think I first heard that from Bill Gaither or someone in his group. I tell you that because it makes me think of several things. In the 1970's I first heard the music of the Bill Gaither Trio. That was "contemporary" for the time. About the same time I was introduced to Maranatha Music - Jesus Movement music from the 1960's. Later in the 1980's Integrity Music brought the Hosanna Music to enhance worship. The trends continue to this day. I grew up with the hymns of the church. I find that all these types of Christian Music feed the soul. I told you that because I was thinking about different churches I have been part of. On this cold, snowy day our attendance at the 8:15 service reminded me of the little church in Oklahoma where I first started preaching. If we had 12 people it was a good day! Many people have a church experience that includes small membership congregations. They give us some great foundational memories. Like music changes so do churches. We continue to discover the new ways God uses to reach and care for people. It is an exciting time to be involved with what God is doing at PWUMC. Times change but cold is still cold! Over the next day or two take care. We know the thaw will come and we will soon find ourselves gathered together to worship and experience the "new thing" God is doing. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve