Reflections From Sunday Evening

What a week! Christmas at Platte Woods UMC is a great time. It is difficult to explain the spirit that is alive in our church during the Christmas Eve services. Pastor Jessica did a great job with the children/family service this year. The joy of family was evident. Pastor Curtis led two NEXT style services and was a blessing to all in attendance. We also introduced Mat Thornton (NEXT worship music leader) to the spirit and enthusiasm of PWUMC. It was my joy to preach to the remaining congregations. Joy to the World! To follow our Christmas celebration we had a great time this weekend. Today was a "family worship" day. We welcomed our children who generally spend the hour in Sunday School to "big people church." They added yet another blessing. Now we turn to 2014. I fully anticipate another great year of serving Christ and bringing people into relationship with Jesus. One other thing...Thanks to Mike Hoffman and Nelson Hopper and Keith Milburn for reminding us where we stand in the capital campaign. We have 2.8 million dollars in hand which represents 40% of our 7 million + pledged! Amazing. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a great day too. steve

Christmas Eve Services

I encourage you to be sure to spend time with God this Christmas. One great way to do so is by attending a Christmas Eve Candlelight service. If you are traveling I hope you will be able to worship. If you are having friends or family with you please consider inviting them to come with you to a service. You are certainly invited to join us at Platte Woods United Methodist Church for one of our services. Our services are about one hour in length. Dress is casual (even if I do wear a suit). We will sing a number of Christmas Carols. We will invite you to share in Holy Communion. (Our communion table is open to all so you need not feel excluded. If you prefer to not participate in this part of the service that is no problem. Simply remain at your seat during the communion time). You will be given a candle to light at the end of the service when we join to sing Silent Night. We will also receive an offering at each service. Our Christmas Eve offering goes to a special fund we use to meet tangible needs of people in our community. We will show a short video to explain this. Our services are at 3:00 p.m. This is a family service with special attention to children. Pastor Jessica, our children's director will bring the message. At 5:00 and 7:00 we will have two different services. The "sanctuary" services at 5 & 7 will be tradition styles with the Sr. Pastor (that would be me) bringing the message. In Memorial Hall Pastor Curtis and the NEXT worship leaders will offer separate services at 5 & 7. There will be some overflow seating outside the sanctuary and in our café where the service may be viewed via video. We also have services at 9:00 and 11:00. These are in the sanctuary and follow the format from the others in the sanctuary. Historically our 5:00 p.m. service has been the largest attended so be sure to arrive early if this is the time that best fits your schedule. Please receive and share this invitation to Christmas Eve at Platte Woods UMC. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Blah. Cold. sleet. freezing rain. ice. snow. Did I say cold? Chiefs laid an egg. Most churches had to cancel services today. We had a good number of hearty souls brave the elements and come to worship today. We had about 1/3 of our normal weekend. We went on as scheduled today but encouraged people to use good judgment regarding the roads and whether or not to get out. We have had two missed opportunities this year. It snowed like crazy on Palm Sunday - generally a day when many people attend church - and today, the Sunday before Christmas. This is another day we see an upbeat in participation. So...blah. But wait. Maybe I looked at this wrong. Cold but I sit in a warm house (at least I did not HAVE to go to the Chiefs game today!). The moisture will serve us well as the year goes on. The snow is actually really pretty. Does anyone enjoy a "White Christmas?" The Chiefs (along with other favorite sports teams and other activities) give us great distraction from the real issues of the world. We were blessed to be able to invite people to worship. People came together today and God was truly present among us. Maybe it wasn't such a bad day after all. Yesterday (December 21) was the shortest day of the year. You realize this means we have turned the corner. The days will begin to get a little longer. More daylight. Through the cold winter we have the hope of spring birthed within us once again. Things are getting brighter, lighter and longer. The sun will rise a bit higher in the sky. This is a great day! It keeps getting better. The weather forecast for Tuesday - Christmas Eve - is cold but clear. The next time we gather to worship could be the highlight of the entire year! Anticipation grows! It keeps getting better. I hope to see you on Christmas Eve. We begin with a service at 3:00 followed by two services at 5:00, 2 services at 7:00 and continuing at 9:00 and 11:00. You have the opportunity to join with others and sing the carols, share in communion and light a candle. What could be better? I will see you. It's been a pretty good day after all. I hope you've had a good day. steve

Weekend Update

With the threat of a winter storm warning we are monitoring things for the weekend. A decision will be made by early afternoon regarding our Saturday evening (5:00 p.m.) service. Hopefully the ice will not be significant and the snow will come later and we will meet for services. If things change I will get the word out. Sunday services will be held regardless of the weather. I have talked with our snow removal team and they are prepared to get in early to make the parking lot as clear and safe as possible. I am anticipating a great weekend. We continue to move toward the celebration of Christmas and I truly hope we will all be able to share in worship this weekend. It appears that the threat of bad weather will be gone for Christmas Eve. I get excited just thinking about all the people who will share in Carols, Communion and Candles on Tuesday. We begin with our "Children's Service" led by Pastor Jessica at 3:00 p.m. I will be sharing with you at 5:00; 7:00; 9:00; and 11:00. Pastor Curtis will lead a NEXT worship at 5:00 and 7:00 in Memorial Hall. I look forward to seeing you in the next few days. steve

Church Controversy

Many of you may be following the events surrounding the defrocking of Rev. Frank Schaefer. He is a United Methodist pastor in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference who was suspended for officiating at the marriage of his son who is gay. Let me give you a little insight into our system and where things stand. The United Methodist Church has an official position on homosexuality that includes a statement that "we find homosexual practice incompatible with Christian teaching." The entire position is pretty broad. We consider all persons regardless of sexual orientation to be "persons of sacred worth". We welcome all to the ministry of the Church. In that context stands the "incompatible" phrase which is at the heart of our current controversy in the denomination. United Methodist clergy are prohibited by church law to participate in homosexual union services and our church facilities are not to be utilized for these purposes. Rev. Schaefer violated the rule when he officiated at his son's service. Following that charges were brought forth. This process is outlined in our Book of Discipline. Rev. Schaefer did not deny his participation but he is taking a stand against what he considers an unjust rule. As a result of the work of the committee on investigation Rev. Schaefer was suspended from ministry for 30 days. He was also asked to state his intentions of following the Book of Discipline going forward. In essence it appears to me that this is what he will not do as a matter of personal conscience. This decision resulted in his ministerial credentials being taken away thereby removing him from the United Methodist ministry. The culture and the church continue to wrestle with the issues regarding human sexuality. The predominate cultural view is one supporting diversity including sexual orientation. There are many in the church who agree with this position. There are also many in the church who believe the historical understanding of homosexuality is the correct stance. Only the United Methodist General Conference, which meets every four years, has the authority to change our statement of belief. The issues that creates are for another time. I just wanted to try to explain what is going on in this case should you be wondering. The process is being worked through in a larger context of the church. I am going to delve into the issue in a sermon next month. When we talk about "My Bad Church Experience" I will preach a message called "You're Not Welcome." I will try to give further explanation of these issues and share my own personal thoughts and struggles at that time. In the meantime, pray for all those involved in the challenges we face each day. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

I had my annual opportunity to participate with our Wesleyan Choir today. I know they have me stand off to the side and read some things and do everything possible to guarantee that no one could possibly hear me sing. It is still a fun time to narrate the annual Christmas cantata. More importantly the choir did amazing! It was a true blessing for all present. A huge shout out to Walter Bryant who directs our music. Everyone who played and all who sang are deeply appreciated. A special note of appreciation to everyone who attended this weekend. The church was filled. People brought others. It was a joyful day. This is such a great time of year. There is something about the Christmas season that tugs hearts toward the manger. Person after person feels a little more desire to be in church where the Story is related once again. I look forward to sharing with you and those you bring to worship in the next days. We have one more weekend and then Christmas Eve. As usual we will have services at 3:00 (directed toward children so bring the kids and hear the story); 5:00 (generally are largest attendance so be sure to come early to get a seat in the sanctuary - there will be overflow seating available in the café); 7:00; 9:00 and 11:00. In addition we will have NEXT style worship at 5:00 and 7:00 in Memorial Hall. Come celebrate the birth of Jesus. It's been a great day. I hope you've had a good day too. And that Chief's game was one of the craziest ever! steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

It was freezing rain and light snow. It was really cold. (Still is.) But for a winter day things did not go too poorly. As a matter of fact God seemed to make it a point to be with us today. Families were able to avail themselves of opportunities to study and learn. Many people found their way to the sanctuary to worship. Many gathered in the dining hall for a fellowship dinner. People gathered around the coffee pot and doughnuts and good conversation. People filled up the choir loft and led in music. There were others who led in praise. A number of people served through the ministry of hospitality. Children came forward and lit candles. A new group of people gathered for a preview of a new worship service. People came forward to the communion rail to pray. People gave generously to support the mission and ministry of the church. There was sharing of mission experiences through video. People led worship through our orchestra. All this on a snowy, cold and drizzly morning. But as always the Lord warmed our hearts. It is truly an amazing thing to join with others in the House of the Lord. It's been a good day. Be warm. Be safe. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

We enter the Advent season and realize that during these next few weeks we are likely to have a number of people visit church. We may not think much about it but with an influx of new people dynamics change. This makes me ask three questions. (And a few more to go with them.) 1. To whom do we speak? Do we speak primarily to long time church members? Do we speak primarily to committed Christians? Do we speak primarily to nominal Christians? Do we speak primarily to skeptics? Do we speak primarily to seekers? This is not an exhaustive list but it may get us thinking. 2. To whom do we want to speak? Is there another group of people we long to reach? Is there an age group that is missing we seek to reach? Do we really want to speak primarily to people like us? 3. To whom will we speak? This is a loaded question. It will cause us to ask a number of other questions. What are we speaking? What does our architecture say about us? What do the songs we sing say about us? What does the message imply? I hope to spend some time in the coming months talking about these questions and many others. This is a great time in the Church Year. I pray we be ready, willing and able to speak to new people God brings our way. Its been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

This past week Baby Boomers and Builder Generation people spent time reflecting on where we were and what we were doing when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. November 22, 1963 was certainly a significant day in American history. For those of us who lived in that time we remember watching the events unfold on television. One of the iconic images that continues is that of John Kennedy saluting his father's casket. The world was on edge. It was a very difficult time in our history. There were other things that happened on November 22, 1963. Perhaps you read the story in the Kansas City Star this week about the queen of the auto show and that the decision was made to go ahead with their program. Maybe you remember that a number of college football games were cancelled that day, however Oklahoma and Nebraska did play that weekend. In a controversial decision then commission of the NFL, Pete Rozelle, had the games played on that Sunday. There were some other events. My wife Cindy's grandmother died on November 22, 1963. There were two other notable deaths on that day. The author and intellectual Aldous Huxley died that day. C.S. Lewis, the great Christian thinker and author also died on November 22, 1963. It seems interesting to me that huge events do not cause the seemly endless series of "normal" events to cease. Might I put that in a Christian context. We may have "big" events or experiences in the Christian life but that does not negate the significance of the hundreds of moments of grace that we continually live. A grand moment takes place that effects thousands of people and at the same time a child is influenced by a Sunday School teacher. Some big event takes place and a person with very limited financial means gives to make a difference in another life. I pray we never see anything like the death of a sitting president. I also pray we never lose sight of the many, many small moments of grace that truly change lives. On another note... Have a very blessed Thanksgiving Day. I hope you have time with family and friends. I hope you eat just enough! I trust you will allow your heart to overflow with thanksgiving. It's been a good day. (I know the Chiefs lost but of greater significance Baker U. won their first playoff game since 1993 and moves into the national quarterfinals next week. But I digress.) It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evenin

Last week I noted that following the capital campaign was a good time to take a few days off. During the past couple of weeks I have been in the office a few times, done a couple of days in meetings and officiated at a funeral service for a friend's family member. Cindy and I have also taken the opportunity to visit a couple of churches these past two Sunday's. It is good to find people gathering to worship in United Methodist Churches in the area. I have heard good preaching. I have experienced meaningful worship. I have been able to join with others in worship. It is my observation that churches are very aware of new people potentially being in their midst. Churches "say" things that note the possibility of visitors being present. Some take further steps to make new people be welcome and find their way. Another observation is that churches are difficult to navigate. In a mega-church it is clearer where people are going. The coffee shop is obvious. The restrooms are well marked. It is clear that a particular door(s)leads to the worship space. Churches like ours are not as clear. A person tends to need a basic understanding of where they are going and what they are looking for. People are great. What to do once you show up is not as clear. Hopefully I can gain some learning from the past couple of weeks. One thing I note is that we do a very good job with hospitality -- and we have opportunities to do even better. There are times when we need people in the parking lot giving direction to those coming at high traffic times. We will make it even clearer where to go when a person steps out of the car and heads to our building for the first time. Once inside I love our people! I would rather be in worship at PWUMC than anywhere. (I am biased but wouldn't you hope I would be!) We will continue to strive to provide an experience that is relevant, meaningful and compelling. It is a joy to serve with you and work with our staff and leadership to offer Christ to our world. It's been a good day (so far). I hope you've had a good day too. -- Now for a couple of other things. Chiefs - Broncos. My heart says Chiefs, Chiefs, Chiefs!!! but...at Denver - Peyton Manning. Enjoy the game and see what happens. On a much more significant note - Baker University finished their season with a 10-1 record and will head to the N.A.I.A. playoffs next week. I got to see their game yesterday. There is not quite as much hype over small college football but the kids show up and play. They seem to have a good time. The games take about 2 and 1/2 hours (instead of the 3-4 when TV is involved). All in all it is a good experience. It makes me ready to come back for more. Well...that is what we seek to create in church. A great experience and something that people want to come back for more. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

I have been told that when a pastor completes work with a capital campaign they should take some time off. For one of the few times in my life I have taken that sort of good advice! Following several months of active involvement where the people of PWUMC pledged over 7 million dollars and have contributed 2.1 million to date, it is a good time to step back and re-charge. Last week Cindy and I took a few days and got away. That was good. Today Cindy and I met Bobby and Leslie and Andrea and Billy at Church of the Resurrection and went to church together. The worship was good, Adam Hamilton's message was great but being together in worship was best of all. After brunch together it is home for an afternoon with no responsibilities. Nice. I've been reading a book comparing and contrasting the thought of John Wesley and John Calvin. (This is what preachers do for fun.) There are many similarities but also significant differences. As I read these two great church leaders I see the basic difference lying in Calvin's tremendously astute insights into theology and Wesley's practical theology. Calvin explains things very logically. Wesley puts theology into practice. Wesley would have us live the faith. These are the two primary theological schools of thought in our culture today. (at least I choose to think so.) This new Calvinism seems to be embraced by a larger number of people, in particular younger Christians. This makes me want to do a better job of sharing and living the gospel in our Wesleyan context. So this is what I've been doing the last few days. It is not merely thinking about theology. In rest and restoration we find ways to live our faith. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Today we took a look at some passages in the Book of Nehemiah. Specifically Nehemiah 10:32 and 10:35. There is a phrase in the beginning of those verses that sets the stage for understanding the way the people approached the life of faith. "We assume the responsibility..." A governing principle in the Old Testament is assuming responsibility. This is grounded in commandments, or the Law, rules and regulations. If you read through the passage you find the practical way they fulfill this. They pay a Temple Tax. So the principle is "assuming responsibility", grounded in the Law and lived out by paying the Temple Tax. Here is a New Testament way of approaching life. The governing principle could be "invitation to participation." The invitation is grounded in grace. We live the faith in communion, or relationship with Jesus Christ. Invitation to participate in the life of grace does not negate assuming responsibility. It merely puts responsibility in a different perspective. Grace offers a way to the Lord that succeeds where law fails. Communion beats taxes! You are invited to the life of grace. You are invited to participate in the life of grace. On another note...We announced our current amount pledged to the HOME campaign. When I left church today we stood at $7,001,000. That is amazing! I am certainly looking forward to what God will do with this strong willingness to give and move into our future. We have been working on this campaign in earnest since July. It is well worth the effort. Cindy and I are going to take a couple of days off and get geared up for the next step. It's been a good day. (How 'bout them Chiefs!) I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Baptism. We use water. That little guy Pastor Curtis baptized today had a look on his face like "what are you doing?" I really like it that way. When a person identifies with Jesus Christ and the Church water is involved. I think it is good to use plenty of water. We really do not practice "dry cleaning." The Church is different from other organizations. Civic clubs have dues and/or fund raisers. Civic clubs and community organizations provide services to communities. They clearly make a positive contribution to the world. You might offer an application and an initial contribution and you are in. The Church is different. Oh, we contribute to the communities where we serve. We do so many good things it is impossible to remember them all. But our initiation process is different. We come to the church and somebody pours a boat load of water on your babies head. We might have you kneel in front of the church and we will douse you with water than falls over your head and onto your shoulders. We might even take you somewhere and half drown you in a pool of water. What do we make of all this? Baptism. It is the sign of a covenant. God makes a covenant with people. God provides you with forgiveness for all your sins and then treats you like you had never done anything to offend Him. God gives you His Spirit to empower your love, witness and service. God promises to be with you in all things at all times and in all ways. God gives everything we could hope for to live an abundant life of grace and eternal life as well. In return God calls for us to believe in him. It is not believe in just the right way. It is an expectation that we believe in God. We find our faith best located in Jesus Christ. So there is your part. Believe and baptism becomes the sign of a covenant God establishes. We witnessed God's part today. We do so fairly regularly in our church. People come and find themselves covered with the waters of baptism. We are people of promise. I pray you discover the joy of living in the promises of God. I pray you discover the joy of living on the blessings of God. I pray you experience the joy of being in a covenant relationship with the Lord. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Ebenezer! It could be simply Scrooge's first name. I suppose someone might actually name a child Ebenezer. It could be the name of a town. Actually there is an unincorporated community in Green County Missouri, six miles north of Springfield that is named Ebenezer. There is even a church there. The Ebenezer United Methodist Church worships there. But today I had another emphasis on "Ebenezer." When we sang "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" we sang verse two..."Here I raise mine Ebenezer..." Some of us have been singing that hymn most of our lives. Did you ever stop and wonder "what is an Ebenezer?" Take a moment and look up I Samuel 7:12. Now that you have done that...you know Ebenezer is basically a pile of rocks. But the meaning is significant. "Stone of help" sounds good. In the Bible story the Ebenezer stone reminded the people of the fact that "thus far the Lord has helped us." So today we did a little activity in church. There were all these dusty, dirty pond rocks placed all over the communion rail. We talked about issue number two in our HAUNTED series. It is a fact that there are people haunted by "guilt." Something was said or done in your past and every once in a while it pops back into your mind. People carry around guilt that they need not carry. But I am doing my message again. Suffice it to say it is not satisfactory to merely suppress guilt. We need our guilt removed. That brings us to a couple of "good news" ideas. Isaiah 6:7; "...your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." Dare to believe that as a child of God's, in relationship with Jesus Christ your guilt is taken away. Going back to the dusty stones on our communion rail today. We sang "Come, Thou Fount" and invited people to come and take a stone. A trade was offered. Leave your guilt and receive God's grace. I trust many experienced a really good deal today. I would always give up my guilt in favor of God's grace. It's been a good day. I trust you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

There is so much to think about this evening. I could talk about the $6,390,807.16 committed to our Home Campaign as of this evening. I could talk about the K.C. Chiefs being 6-0 with their best start to a season since 2003. I could talk about a great youth weekend of SHIFT. I could talk about a really neat boat ride around Weatherby Lake this evening. I could talk about MIZZOU football off to a great start. I could talk about the lives touched and encouraged by the grace of the Lord Jesus today. I could talk about the potential of our upcoming First Fruits offering the first weekend in November. I could talk about the children staying after church to learn how to be acolytes. I could talk about the hospitality training that took place today. There is a lot I could think about and reflect on today. But what I think I'll do is simply let all these things and ideas rest in God's hands. We all have so many things going on in our lives. We may easily find so many things going on that we meet ourselves coming and going. We move from one activity to the next. Our minds hardly ever turn off. We wake in the night thinking of what we need to do next. We scurry from one meeting to another. I think rather than try to share with you all the neat things going on I will invite you to join me in resting before the Lord. Life is filled with so much that has the potential to bring deep joy. Why not enjoy these gifts God places in our lives? So rather than let my mind fly around all that has been going on today I believe I will say a simple "thank you" to God. It's been a good day - a joy-filled day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Saturday Mom and Dad held an auction. By the end of the day they had sold the house they have lived in for the past 43 years. We moved there just before the beginning of my senior year of high school. Still that is the house we always went back to when we went "home." That is the house where our kids discovered Christmas and getting up early to share the joy. That is the house where my mom hosted countless family dinners, meals for her students and who knows how many other gatherings. That was the house where we had our rehearsal dinner the night before Cindy and I were married. Many memories. When the day was about over my dad said he guessed he'd better walk through the house one more time. I went with him. Wow. For just an instant there were family members long since passed. There were our kids frozen in childhood. There were memorable moments of laughter and joy. Then we walked out the door and moved into our future. Mom and Dad are enjoying life in the residential care facility in the town where they have lived practically all their lives. Soon another family will move into the "home" we have all know for many years. Other children will experience life in that place. New experiences will be enjoyed. In reflecting on the sale I think about the church. We are coming to the "commitment weekend" for our "HOME" campaign. Perhaps we will think about the experiences of those who have gone before us. We may certainly give thought to the meaningful experiences of the Spirit we are having today. And we make way for the next generation that will make this place their "home." It's been a good day. I trust you've had a good day too. blessings. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

"Pastor Steve. We don't use page numbers with our Bibles in 3rd grade." That was my take away from the 9:30 service today when we gave our Third Graders their Bible. This is always a highlight. Student after student made their way forward as their name was called and I got to give them a Bible. It became clear that this is more than a token. They will be reading their Bible and learning the stories of faith. I always like to take a moment and challenge the students to read. This year I picked the Gospel of Luke. I asked them to find Luke in their Bible. One girl found it before I did! That's a good sign for 3rd graders - not so much for preachers. I thought it would be helpful to give them a page number so it would be easier to find. When I asked Jessica to tell me what page Luke began on - I had to ask because the print was smaller than I could read - I was told they do not use page numbers to find things in their Bible in 3rd Grade. "Pastor Steve. We don't use page numbers in 3rd Grade." That sounds good to me. This tells me our teachers are going to help the students find their way around the scriptures. They will be learning the stories of the Bible. It all begins with having the scriptures. Step two is reading the scriptures. It is good to have access but until the Word is read it will not become fruitful. We read and then we learn. We study. We listen to the lessons that accompany our Bible reading. We discuss. We discover the meaning of scripture. Over time we become people of the Book! John Wesley (the founder of the Methodist Movement) indicated that God has condescended to make himself known and show us the way to heaven. "He has written it down in a book. Oh at any price give me the Book of God." Third Grade Bible Sunday is more than a time to take a picture of the preacher giving away a Bible to a student. it is the beginning of a great adventure. Now we pray the Word of God mold lives and bear fruit for a lifetime. It begins with the Book of God. By the way, the Bible is good for "big people" too. I told our third graders that I would join them in reading the Gospel of Luke. I believe they will soon be emailing me to tell me what they learned. Any other takers? We read the Word so we may learn the Word and experience the transforming power of the Inspired Scriptures. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Wedding weekend. Blessings on Billy and Andrea Daniels. Just to much to report. Feeling grateful tonight. For those who did not hear Pastor Ginger this weekend - get it on line. An amazing message highlighting the ministries and changed lives through PWUMC. I likened it to a 427 foot home run in the fountains at the "K". (If you don't get the baseball reference ask a friend.) It's been an amazing day. I hope you've had a good day too. Blessings, Steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Prayer is a vast matter. Prayer is meant to be part of all of life. Prayer includes lifting our hearts to God in praise and adoration. Prayer includes confessing our sins and needs to God. Prayer offers a way to give thanks to God for all the rich blessings of life. Prayer is how we lift the needs of others to the Lord. Prayer brings us comfort when we hurt. Prayer brings encouragement. The list goes on and on. There is another element of prayer to recognize. While God is certainly in the caring business the primary purpose of our relationship with God is not to be comfortable. As a matter of fact I could make a case that when we pray and hear a word from God it may often be a huge challenge rather than constant comfort. There is a sense in which life is easier when God is silent. This is because when God speaks it is often to call and challenge people. But would you really rather have an easy life or a meaningful life? Today we lifted up the prayer; "Lord, what would you want to do through me?" That is in the context of our capital campaign but it truly applies to all of life. When you see problems in the world you can complain and talk about how bad things are...or say "Lord, what would you want to do through me?" When you see people struggling with marriage, raising children, with work or a host of issues, we can talk about people and feel sorry for them, or pray, "Lord, what would you want to do through me?" When you hold this pray before the Lord I do not believe God will remain silent. But be prepared for a challenge. Lord, what would you want to do through me? It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

We had a blessed time at church this weekend. Off we go to talk about establishing an environment where people will meet Jesus Christ for decades to come; an environment where people will deepen their love for God and others and grow in faith for years to come. It is always super to experience worship at PWUMC. We talked about gratitude today. I think about what is happening in the world and am reminded yet again of much I have to be thankful for. We gather to worship. Many families get together and go to lunch or home to watch the football game. Certainly we have our ups and downs but by and large life is blessed. I am thankful. Contrast our current experience with the way of life being lived in Syria. I cannot imagine what it is like to live in the midst of a civil war. The reports of death and destruction are devastating. I truly wish I had the right answer for any potential American involvement. The debate continues on whether or not America should initiate a missile attack. Here is merely one more reason I could never be the president of the United States. I have never really considered myself a true pacifist but I have always been deeply troubled by the realities of war. In the last century or so there has been an attempt to develop some "rules" for war. Of course the use of chemical weapons is against the new rules. We can try to "tame" war all we want. The truth is war is an absolutely horrible thing. The realities of war would fit Dante's image of hell very well. War will not be tamed. Some consider war an essential "last resort." Some see war as an appropriate political response to very bad situations. You know the arguments. President Obama must decide if the suspected use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government warrants our involvement through missile strikes. Many Americans are "war weary" and strongly resist any American involvement. Some argue that it is our responsibility to act in the face of evil. There is historical precedent for such involvement. If I get a call this week and am asked what we should do my response would be do not resort to any military option. I would pray we be able to use all means short of force to effect change and peace for people anywhere in the world. That is the opinion of a pastor, not a military leader. I pray the children of Syria will be able to go outside and play. Children in every country should be able to go out and play in safety. I pray families will be able to walk safely down their streets. I pray for peace. I will continue to pray that the River of Life, as depicted in the Book of Revelation, flow from the throne of God and bring peace to the nations. I also will continue to pray for our president and our leaders to make wise decisions. May God step forth and make a way where there seems to be no way. It's been a good day - though the specter of war clouds our joy. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

A basic point today was that in the midst of obedience or service and/or ministry, we encounter the Lord. If you "wish" ... Just fill in the black. I wish I had faith (or more faith). I wish I could be forgiven. I wish I was a "better" Christian. We have many wishes that relate to our spiritual lives. A great way to make our desires reality is to be engaged in obedient service. In Genesis 12 Abram went to a new land out of obedience to God's call. In the midst of his obedience the Lord appeared to him. It was then that Abram built an altar to the Lord. That would open a whole new relationship between Abram and the Lord. It happened in the context of serving. This coming Saturday we will participate in our Faith In Action day. We will be participating in Serve 13 along with United Methodist churches all over the state. I believe that as you engage in service you will discover the Lord coming to you in a fresh way. Love will increase and faith will deepen. I hope you have a good Labor Day. Today has been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Today I shared my story of the time when we were little boys that a friend of mine hit my hammer with his head! When that happened I knew instinctively that I was in trouble. Maybe him holding his head, crying and running home tipped me off -- but I knew. When I got home that evening I was waiting on dad to get home and see what would happen next. At that point I did what any good son of Adam would do. I hid. That is a great image in the Scripture. When "the man and the woman heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of day, they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden." (Genesis 3:8) They had done something and it seems to me they must have thought, we are in trouble. I hid. When dad got home he called for me and that is when I came out of hiding. That is what happened with Adam and Eve. The Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" (Genesis 3:9) That is when the man came out of hiding. If I had one word to those who find themselves hiding from God today it would be listen. God will call your name. When your name is called come out of hiding. I don't remember what was said to me or what happened. Evidently something took place because to this day I have not hit anyone else in the head with a hammer! I used that in the context of our Wesleyan Way of Salvation. There comes a moment when we realize "we are in trouble." We hide. God calls our name. We come out of hiding. Our life is changed. The good news is that we come out of hiding, step across the threshold of justification and new birth, and enter the heart of God. It's been a good day. I trust you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Cindy and I went to our favorite church today - Platte Woods UMC! Took the final day of vacation and sat in the balcony. (Frankly I like my regular view better.) Thanks to Curtis who did a great job with the "Grace Effect" series. I get to finish it up next weekend. After church we ran by a couple of stores before we went home. Generally I spend all Sunday morning at church. We always talk about everything that goes on Sunday morning that tend to keep people away from church but today I saw some things first hand. I wonder about the clerks who work on Sunday morning. Did they have much choice in whether or not to work on Sunday morning? Did they volunteer? Did they have "nothing better to do?" But there they are. What about all those shoppers? Were they on the way home from church? Is Sunday no more than a day off? It seems strange to enter into a different culture. That is what it felt like for me. My culture is a "church culture." Other things revolve around my church culture. Obviously not everyone lives in a church culture. As a matter of fact many live lives where church would be expected to revolve around most everything else. I like my culture better than the one I shared in today. I like my culture so much better I want to share it with others. There is some hopeful and Good News. Christ is the transformer of culture. That is something I remembered on vacation this year. Looking forward to being back "home." It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

It's been a busy vacation week for Cindy and me. Monday found us in Appleton City. Met brother John and his daughter and son to help load a piano. Thankfully there was plenty of help! Of course they needed me to "steady" the job. Tuesday to Kimberly City and our friends Clif and Dee Crockett. Pierce Arrow show that evening. The next day watched it rain and then toured the dam at Table Rock. Then a trip to Silver Dollar City. Ended the day at Lambert's for "throwed rolls" before driving back to K.C. Thursday evening went to dinner with friends at Cinzettis. Friday we went to Union Station for the Pirate exhibit. Saturday was a birthday dinner at daughter Andrea's. Today we went to church in Raymore where they celebrated their 132 year heritage. Good to see friends from our time serving there from 1990-95. We had to hurry from there to get to the New Theatre to meet Cindy's mom and sister for the Buddy Holly Story. This taking time off stuff is exhausting! Another week to "rest." Maybe I will catch my breath this week. Better catch the Royals while they are hot! In the midst of all this I have found some time to walk and pray and do some reflection. Emerging insights! Looking forward to further development regarding what God is up to these days. I am getting eager to get back to it - feeling the Spirit stirring! But first ...another week to relax. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

After early service today Cindy went to a wedding shower thing (sounds like a man/father doesn't it) while I met up with son Bobby and we went to Church of the Resurrection Downtown. A good experience to see what is taking place in the center of our city. The place was full and God was at work. Ministry takes place in context. One factor of context is demographics. COR downtown is obviously doing a great job in their context. I see other places doing very well in their context. Grand Avenue Temple does an amazing job of ministry in their context. Half of their congregation is homeless. Very good contextual ministry. Jacob's Well is a church meeting not far from KU Medical Center. This is the "emerging" church being attended by large numbers of young adults. They do a great job of ministry in their context. I think of the pastor's I worked with in July who are primarily serving small membership churches in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. No one talks about them like they do COR or Jacob's Well, but they are doing very significant ministry in small towns and rural settings. Context. It makes me think about our own church. (PWUMC) We are not an inner city church. We are not really a suburb but that it pretty close. We are certainly not a small rural church. One of our unique traits is that we have elements of a number of different type churches. We do great ministry where we are. Context. I will be taking some time over the next couple of weeks to re-charge as we gear up for the fall. There is a lot coming. I look forward to it. In the meantime I will probably be taking some time to think about current and future ministry in the context God has given. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

The greatest part of my morning was when a number of people looked me in the eye and said "I WANT to believe." I believe that is all God needs to step into a life in a meaningful way. The invitation was to come and take the hand of a pastor (we were singing "Precious Lord Take My Hand") and say I BELIEVE or I WANT TO BELIEVE. Proved to be a meaningful response to the Gospel. Sometimes people in church are hesitant to admit they have questions and even doubts. I don't think God has a checklist to make sure we have enough right answers, right beliefs or even right behaviors to quality for grace. One of my early mentors, Dr. Jim Buskirk, taught us that "honest doubt may be the beginning of real faith." There are some doctrines, practices and beliefs of the Church that not everyone fully understands. Some have serious doubts about some of the things we believe and teach. But that does not disqualify anyone. God seeks and when we move in His direction He comes to meet us. I Believe. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Today we joined in recognizing and celebrating Ralph Shackelford's 95th birthday. Ralph is a World War II veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He is great patriot, a great American, a Christian and member of Platte Woods UMC. Ralph is our friend and a long time part of our faith community. Happy Birthday Ralph. Today we continued our series on The Music of Life. We take a different form of music and let that set our context in which we hear the Scripture and find our insights. We have used Jazz, Country and today Rock Music. Some would hesitate to use such a "secular" medium in church. But there is a reason to use various styles and types of music and mediums to communicate the gospel. Today I mentioned that we are operating from the belief that Jesus Christ came to redeem and transform, not only our individual lives or even the entire cosmos, but also culture. I believe Jesus seeks to be the transformer of culture. If we believed Jesus was against culture and came primarily to judge we would not use these various types of music. Our practice is a result of our belief that Jesus seeks to transform all things, even culture. (I did not make this up. Consider H. Richard Niebuhr's classic work "Christ and Culture." It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

There are a number of things on my mind today. I am thinking about the not guilty verdict for George Zimmerman. I think about the anguish Trayvon Martin's family continues to feel. I appreciate many civic leaders, included Kansas City's Sly James, for speaking words of peace in the midst of a potentially volatile situation. Only those immediately involved in the situation know exactly what happened. However we know that one young man lost his life and another will live with the results of that evening for the rest of his life. Certainly our justice system is not perfect but it strives for fairness. We pray for all involved in this matter. May the peace of God prevail. On a much more pleasant matter -- what a great Vacation Bible School we enjoyed this past week. When you put this week with our previous evening VBS over 500 children were involved in learning the stories of faith and finding friendship with Jesus. We had a great number of adult and teen volunteers. It was an amazing week. Deep appreciation to Pastor Jessica and all who led this week's VBS. Today we had a really good day in worship. Each service was a joy to share. If you have yet to be present for the Music of Life series I hope you make it for Rock and Gospel. Walter does some pretty amazing stuff with these different forms of music. Country was a hit! Today we welcomed Lisa McClellend into our membership through baptism and confession of faith. It is a joy and a sign of God's presence when we share in the birth stages of faith. There is much happening over the next week or two. Approximately 40 of our children will be heading to Wilderness Camp this week. Prayers for Pastor Curtis and Angie with their leadership. We also have a number of other adults serving at camp this week. Pastor Ginger will be in her Course of Study class. Pastor Christine is teaching a class in Course of Study. I too will be teaching at St. Paul School of Theology this week. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

I recall a seminary class where we read an author who referred to the "American Captivity of the Church." It was a comparison to the Biblical teaching of the Babylonian Captivity of Israel. It was the first challenge I ever faced regarding my patriotism. Later at another seminary it was questioned whether a person could be a "patriot" and a "Christian." That was another confusing moment. I believed 'of course you can.' So through the years I have worked on understanding my love for country and love for Jesus. Recently I have read some who help me put what I believe in perspective. I look at Jeremiah 29 for my position on God and Country. In Jeremiah 29 the prophet has spoken for the Lord and the people of God are in exile in Babylon. Some people resist. Some feel defeated and confused. But the Lord gives instructions on how to live in a city (nation). "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." Here are some insights that emerge from the text and our experience. First I realize that my love for country (patriotism) is secondary to my love for Jesus Christ. I guess I am not a "manifest destiny" person. Tex Sample reminded us that the Chinese Dragon, the Soviet Bear nor the American Eagle will swoop in and save us. Jesus Christ saves us. So the cross stands above the flag. The text in Jeremiah reinforces my love for country. Certainly our nation - nor any nation - is not perfect. But this is the greatest country on the earth. But don't mistake nation for kingdom of God. But we want to love our nation and do all we can to be great citizens and supporters of the freedom we enjoy. Jeremiah puts this in perspective. While the nation may not be everything we wish it were, it is the place where God has planted us. God has given us this place. There will be days when things look troubling. There will be issues we disagree over. But we are followers of Jesus and we are Americans. I believe God has put me here. So I will love country as a follower of Jesus. I will pray for my nation. I will be a full participant in my nation. I will seek the best for my country. I will work for the prosperity of my nation. This is where we live. Through our citizenship and patriotism we fulfill the message of Jeremiah. We too anticipate the peace and prosperity God graciously provides. So God first. Cross lifted high. Nation loved. Flag honored. It's been a good day and a good week. It was a joy to celebrate our Independence this week. Today was a great day to celebrate our freedom in Christ. I hope you've had a good day too. Steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

We are anticipating Vacation Bible School the week of July 8-12. I took an informal survey today. When the congregation was asked who had attended VBS at some time in their life, most if not practically all hands went up. Bible School was something we did for two weeks when I was growing up. (I would not suggest that to our leaders today.) It was part of the forming of faith. I followed that by asking who had volunteered to help with Bible School at some time. Again, many hands went up. When I asked how many had done so in the past few years a smaller number of hands rose. By the time I asked everyone who planned to help this year to indicate so very few hands went up. But Pastor Ginger has taken care of it by asking everyone to pray. We are invited to pray, "Lord what would you have me do for VBS?" That is not a bad prayer for anything in the life of faith. "Lord, what would you have me do about serving, giving and responding to your call?" Will you pray? What will you pray? It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

The new Superman movie, Man of Steel has several theological themes. Clark Kent is 33 when he embarks on his "mission. Compare our belief that Jesus began his public ministry at age 33. Kal-El comes from another world, sent by his father. Jesus comes down from heaven sent by his Father. Kal-El comes to save the world. You get the drift. The "S" on his chest is not an "S" in his world but the symbol of hope. There is the cosmic battle between good and evil. It intrigues me that our increasingly secular world flocks to experience a re-telling of the gospel. The word is that our culture is becoming increasingly anti-Christian and anti-Church. But there are obvious deep spiritual longings. The question becomes how do we connect a generation of spiritual seekers to the Gospel. In the next several weeks I am going to lead discussions around the issue of personal evangelism. How may we effectively invite people to relationship with God through Jesus Christ. As my friend Bob Farr puts it, "How do we do so without being obnoxious?" The main thing to remember is this. It is not only possible for people to connect seekers to the Lord. We have the promise of the Holy Spirit to empower us in our faith sharing. "Superman" is a great story. The modern version may not be like the comics of our childhood but they are certainly action packed. But believe it or not, the life changing Gospel of Jesus Christ may be even more exciting. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is truly playing at a church near you! Come share in His grace. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

reflections from sunday evening

Today we talked about David and Goliath. Let Goliath (the giant David defeated) represent any "giant" or challenge you are facing today. We may learn much from David and this story where the young man came against the Philistine champion with only a staff, sling and rock. But what David had was the Lord. He was very clear when he approached the giant. "You come against me with sword, spear and javelin but I come against you in the name of the Lord God Almighty. Furthermore ..."the battle is the Lord's and He will deliver..." It is an amazing story. Use you imagination. What challenge stands in front of you? Name it. Is it a fear...an anxiety...uncertainty? That is your "giant." Now remember. Remember that "best day" of life...best season...best time of your life. As you reflect on that you will realize that the determining factor was the presence of God. Here is good news. God is with you as you face the giant. Now we have a choice to make. In ancient times when the giant came out and defied the army of Israel, Saul and his men "trembled and were terrified." What makes you tremble? What terrifies you? Now comes an interesting point in the story of David and Goliath. The giant moved toward David, well armed and all the odds in his favor. But David ran to meet him! He ran to face the challenge. He ran to the battle. So here is our question. Am I the kind of person who stands aside when challenges arise and tremble and allow myself to be terrified? Or am I the kind of person who runs away from challenges? Or...am I one who will run to meet the giant. We may run to meet our challenges because "We come in the name of the Lord!" We may run to meet our challenges because "the battle is the Lord's and HE WILL..." Read the story in I Samuel 17 and find the strength of the Spirit to run to meet your challenges. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Nelson Hopper led the way for the 17th annual Platte Woods Church golf scramble. Seemed to me that everyone had a good time. My team did not stick around to pick up our winnings! Actually I would say that the only loser today was the game of golf! I insist that I have far too much respect for the game to actually play it. But we raised some money for the church endowment fund and enjoyed a beautiful day. It has been a great day. As always church touched hearts this weekend. Each service is unique and touches different people in different ways. That is a pretty amazing thing about the Body of Christ - the Church. Today we talked about how Jesus had a "magnetic" way about him that drew people to His grace. Today we are the Body of Christ. I believe that implies we are intended to be magnetic along the way of Jesus. The two keys to being a magnetic church -- 1. Love God. 2. Love people. Eventually it comes to the point where people who are not even very interested in church find themselves being attracted to the faith. I sense this becoming our experience. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

winning your fears

I am not sure why I thought about a story I made up and told my son when he was a little boy. It was about a dragon that made all the people in the village afraid. (what boy doesn't like a good dragon story?) Well it fell to "Sir Bobby" to save the people from the scary dragon. Upon his encounter with the dragon it became evident that the fearful dragon was not that bad at all. He was simply a dragon who needed a friend. So my son became a hero who introduced the villagers to a benevolent dragon. The dragon ended up not only a friendly dragon but also a protector of the people. I may need to go back and remember some of the details of that tale. Maybe I thought of the story today because someone is afraid and needs to win their fears to a benevolent helper and protector. Could our fears really be changed? Could our fears really have their veneer removed and seen for exactly what they are? Perhaps it is true...perfect love casts out fear. Could love change fear to friendship? steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Some random thoughts on this Memorial Day Weekend... This is more than an extra day off from work - remember our military men and women who have given their lives in service to our country Remember and honor family, friends and neighbors who have gone before us. Remember that death does not have the last word...God always has the next word. The new theme song for the K.C. Royals could be "Free Fall'in by Tom Petty. We exceeded our goal at the blood drive today...Should probably have higher goals. Plan to be with my mom and dad tomorrow and "decorate" family graves. (I could represent the last generation to continue this practice.) The Royals are depressing to watch. I could have gotten a pie in the face at church today...Don't miss PDO kicking off June 4 for Summer program. Had a good day at church today...moving past memorializing those we honor to anticipating Resurrection Life..."I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, though they die yet shall they live, and whoever lives by believing in me shall never die. Do you believe this? (Jesus) It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

We have had a good Pentecost Day. Somehow we kept things straight and baptized an adult, baptized and confirmed a student, baptized three children and received new members. Thanks to Pastors Ginger and Curtis for keeping things on track! This is a good day to be reminded of what the Holy Spirit does in our life. The life of following Jesus is not about keeping a list of rules but of walking in the Spirit. One of the more challenging ideas for many is that the Christian life is not about being good and doing good things. There is certainly nothing wrong with being good and doing good but we are talking about something more. Keep this in mnind. The Holy Spirit takes good, moral people who seek to be good and do good and changes lives to create grace-filled people who declare the wonders of God. On another note...graduations parties, graduations...significant days in the lives of many of our students and families. Congratulations. Go boldly into the next chapter of your life! It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

In my home church in Appleton City the members surprised my mom today. She has been playing the organ or piano at the church for over 65 years. I beleve she started when she was 14! At the beginning of church they took her off the organ bench and gave her a seat by the pulpit. She said she did not have any idea what was going on. She got it figured out when people started walking by with hugs and cards. I appreciate the great people of Trinity UMC for recognizing mom. They surprised her and showed her some love. That seems pretty good to do something for over 60 years. it gets me thinking. I wonder how long I can preach... On another note... Our message series this month is Sink or Swim. We recognize that there are many challenges in the culture today. Frankly each of us have seasons of life where it feels like we are floating on a turbulent sea. People have many ways to cope with life but in the church we are a unique people. This month we are looking at practices of the church and some of the things we talk about. Here is the idea. The hope and grace that comes through the church keeps us afloat in a turbulent culture. We have looked a communion and baptism. Next week: Pentecost. I look forward to sharing the source of God's power that sustains us in life. Back to the first part of this blog. Happy Mother's Day Mom. I know you've had a great day. It has been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Today we celebrated confirmation with a great class. Frankly the reason many of us are pastors is for the opportunity to play even a small part in a person professing their faith in Jesus Christ. We had a great day with this years confirmation class. I pray God's blessing on every student and parent and teacher and leader and all those who played a role in this very significant experience. My message to the class was Remember. There are many acts and experiences in the Church that help us remember. I encourage everyone to avail yourself of what helps you remember. A Google search of the Kansas City A's 1962 took me to Baseball Almanac and there was the entire schedule and results of the 1962 Kansas City A's baseball team. This helped me remember something. On May 27, 1962 my dad took me to my first major league baseball game. It was a double header with the Los Angeles Angels. The A's won the first game and lost the second. I have many memories. The clearest memory I have of the game was in the second game the A's lost. Haywood Sullivan was the catcher and he dropped a pop-up. I can see it to this day. I was 9 years old. I was a baseball player. I was a catcher. I had actually caught pop-ups. I thought to myself...I could be a major league baseball player...That is a story for another day. Remember. In the movie "42" the story of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in major league baseball, there is a scene where a 10 year old African American has a moment with Jackie Robinson. At the end of the movie when they show some pictures of characters and tell something about what happened to them this boy's picture was shown. Under the picture is written. Ed Charles. Played for the 1969 Miracle Mets. What was left unsaid was this. Ed Charles. Also played for the Kansas City A's from 1962-67...and he gave Steve Breon his autograph! That makes me only 1 removed from Jackie Robinson! Today in confirmation and in our service of Holy Communion no one was one removed. In Christ we are with God. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

It was a joy to share in two baptisms this morning. Blessings upon Olivia Hundt and Brent Reilly. Through the waters of baptism two children were marked for Christian Discipleship. Two sets of parents were given the opportunity to confirm their faith in Jesus Christ and make a promise to raise their children in the faith. We anticipate these children one day making their own personal commitment to Christ and the Church. Furthermore we all re-affirmed our faith in and commitment to Jesus Christ. There is a lot that goes on in the act of baptism. Beginning next week we will share in a message series talking about things we do in the Church. We will talk about Communion, Baptism, Pentecost (the Holy Spirit), Eternal Life and Call. I look forward to sharing with you over the next few weeks. I trust our faith will increase. We will also celebrate our Confirmation Class next Sunday at the 11:00 service. I will have reflections on the 40 young people who will make their profession of faith next week. We anticipate a great day. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Strange things happen when transformers blow fuses. That has an effect on churches. It does things like make the sound system not work but the LCD boots back up. It means lights are on in one hallway but not the next. There are some lights at the front of the sanctuary but not in the rest. So we worship old style. No microphone. Little light. But we went on just fine. They got the sound system working for the next service at 9:30. We could call it mood lighting by then. Finally during the 11:00 service the lights came back. The power company replaced a fuse and we were back to normal. In essense we had church on partial power this morning. Sadly we have a tendency to live a life of faith on partial power. In our quest for an abundant life of grace we often run on partial power. In essence we spend too much effort trying to serve the Lord and walk in His grace in our own power. The truth is God longs to impart to us His power. Can you imagine what a life of faith would look like when running on the fullness of God's power. Most of us have spent most of our time seeking merely enough grace to get some basic forgivenss and help when we are in trouble. That is living on the limited resources of God. I look for something better. We may live a fully resourced Christian life. Anticipate what your faith will look like when the lights come on and full power is restored. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Prayers for Boston

I just left the sanctuary and a time of prayer for those touched by the violence at the Boston Marathon. We shared in a litany of prayer and are offering time for reflection. I lit a candle and knealt at the communion rail praying in remembrance of an 8 year old boy and a 29 year old girl, the first identified victims. I prayed for father's who are suffering unimanginable loss. I prayed for those seeking the perpetrators of the violence. I prayed, I pray. Please join us. As I spent a few moments with background music, candles and fellow believers I was struck with the contrast between the chaotic violence at the finish line of the Boston Marathon and the very peaceful setting for our prayers today. I realize again how our world is filled with violence. Eye catching events like the Boston bombing get our attention but violence takes place daily in our world and even in our own cities. Even with that reality I do not want to detract from the focus we need to put on the events of Boston. We pray. We pray sometimes in the midst of chaos and shouts and running and fear. We pray in the peaceful presence of the Living Lord Jesus Christ. May our prayers bring peace to the chaos flashing through many lives today. May the peace of Christ prevail - yet again. Pray steve If you are in the area Platte Woods UMC invites you to come by for prayer. We share together at the top of the hour - 5, 6, 7 & 8.

Reflections From Sunday Evening

We went and saw 42 this afternoon. The story of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in major league baseball is great. Of course I am a baseball fan but this movie is a must see. Check it out and let me know what you think. In the movie the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers,Branch Rickey, sought out a young baseball player named Jack Robinson. He was playing for the Kansas City Monarchs at the time. Another intersting point in the movie (for me) came when Rickey was stating his case for calling on Jackie Robinson for this significant breakthrought. Rickey said, "He's a Methodist. I'm a Methodist and God's a Methodist!" That was some good news to hear! Evidently Branch Rickey was a one time member of Grace Methodist Church in St. Louis. All the Methodist talk aside this is a story of American racism and one of the factors that has helped in the struggle for justice and inclusion. When you see the movie notice the scene where the 10 year old boy has a brief encounter with Jackie Robinson. Remind me and I will tell you a story in a future blog. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

While walking into church this morning I thought about what the weather was like 2 weeks ago. It was cold, windy and snowing. Churches were cancelling. It was dangerous to be on the roads. It was a mess. Today was a great contrast. It is a nice day. Just another reminder that if you do not like the weather in Kansas City wait a bit and it will change. I think about last Sunday and our celebration of Easter. We walked away from an empty tomb and met the risen Lord Jesus. Our Post-Easter experience has the Living Lord Jesus stepping into our life. That produces change. A person simply cannot meet a person who was dead and is now alive and not have the experience affect them. It is not possible to walk away from an empty tomb and live a "business as usual" life. It is simply not possible to experience the resurrection and continue a "business as usual" life. Jesus makes us different. We see life and people from a new perspective. We have hope that could never be created on our own. Our Post-Easter, Post-Resurrection experience is life changing. This month we are exploring some of the ways we live into our new, Post-Easter life. Our focus is on doing justice. It may not come naturally but justice comes from Christ in us. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

The messengers of God pose the question to the women who come to the tomb seeking to care for the body of Jesus. "Why do you look for the living among the dead?" Our experience at church today would guarantee no one would mistake this place for a dead place. He is risen! No doubt the risen Lord Jesus was among us today. The Holy Spirit inspired worship. I now trust the Lord will continue bringing clarity and hope to each of us as we move forward. Easter has once again reminded us that our desire for something greater than death has arrived. Easter once again reminds us that good news prevails over bad news. Easter again reminds us that hope rises and nothing keeps us from the presence of God. We completed our series on "Hope Epidemic" and I truly believe there is a strong sense of hope rising. Now we move forward. Spend time with God until God's desires become your desires. As love increases the desires of our heart will become a mirror of God's heart. May your expectation of fulfillment be elevated. Hope is desire with expectation of fulfillment. Easter seals the hope and the sure expectation that God is at work in our lives, our church, our community and world. Go be a conveyor of hope. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

I do not remember a Palm Sunday with a winter storm warning. But now I have that experience. Could this possibly be put in the category of "once in a lifetime?" I hope so. There are some other once in a lifetime experiences that I think of... My wedding day The birth of our first child - it's a boy! The birth of our daughter notification that I had been awarded the degree of Doctor of Ministry (they call it a "terminal" degree) What about those "once in a lifetime" spiritual experiences? Baptism First communion remembered First funeral attended Today may have been a once in a lifetime as far as snowy weather on Palm Sunday but there are many more great experiences awaiting us. - Next week we will gather and celebrate Easter - Resurrection - Jesus the first fruits of resurrection - a once in a lifetime experience! The seeds sown for our own anticipated resurrection life. On another note - Great thanks for those who came to church today to make things possible for us to serve pepole coming to worship. We had music - thanks Walter, Nancy, band, praise team and choir. We had worship - thanks Ginger. We were able to live stream the service - thanks Curtis. We had the behind the scenes things in order - thanks Kenny, Chuck, Shannon, Brian, acolytes (and parents who were able to bring children). We had Palm Sunday procession of palms - thanks to all the children and their teachers and helpers. We had people gather to experience God's touch and be a light of grace for others. Frankly its been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve By the way a person should never try to actuallly name people they want to express appreciation for since someone will always be overlooked. But anyway - thanks Jessica, Janice, Sunday School teachers, confirmation teachers just in case someone came - and many others. Another wow thanks - Dan Reid and his team who cleared the parking lot and sidewalks. A job very well done.

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Our dictionary definition of hope is "desire with expectation of fulfillment." Today we talked about the three components of the definition. Here is a reminder. When our desires are consistent with the heart of God (which happens when we spend time in God's presence) there is an increasing degree of expectation for fulfillment. There are a couple of things we incorporate into our equation that will raise our level of expectation. Faith and Spirit. When the Holy Spirit comes and refreshes us our faith is activated. When faith is Spirit activated hope rises. My prayer for you is that your hope rise. We may anticipate the Spirit stirring our souls and refreshing our faith. Enter your week with renewed expectation. Hope is desire with expectation of fulfillmnent. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Today we talked about being the embodiment of hope. God embodied hope in His son Jesus. Now the tangible expression of hope is found in people - followers of Jesus Christ. Speicifically you and I have been made the embodiment of hope. It is up to us to bring hope to those around us who face the day with very little or no hope. We are seeking to be a church that is healthy, vital and growing. It is a fact that when a church is healty and vital growth ensues. Health, vitality and growth are the components of hope. Our series this month is Hope Epidemic. Together we share a hope in Christ that is contagious. Be part of the hope epidemic that will change the lives of the hopeless we will encounter this week. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Today I finished three weeks of sharing vision 2013 with various adult Sunday School classes. We've been blessed by Pastor Ginger's message series this month. Her willingness to preach a three week series provided me the opportunity to spend time with many people in a small group setting. It has been a joy to share where we are in the life of our church and where we are heading. The big take away I hoped to communicate was "decisions made today will determine the health, vitality and growth of PWUMC 20 years from now." I appreciate being able to share with each group. Next week we begin a new message series called HOPE EPIDEMIC. I have been writting messages and am up to Easter. You will hear plenty about hope in the next few weeks. Here is the "spoiler alert." "Hope is Desire with expectation of fulfillment." It's been a good day. Still get to share in worship at NEXT in a couple of hours. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Random thoughts today... I was blessed by Pastor Ginger's message today. It is absolutely true that the seasons of life pass quickly. New resolve to experience each chapter to the full. Why can't the MU Tigers finish a game at the end. The difference between a decent season and a great one comes down to finishing well. In 5 losses this season Mizzou has been in position to win in the final minute but failed to do so. The difference in a record of 19-8 is much different than 24-3 which is what they would have if they always finished well. Four games to go so who knows. But don't blink! Finish well. Looks like another round of snow this week. Pastor Curtis helped put it in perspective. We DO need the moisture. But why not just snow in lakes, streams, ponds and fields instead of city streets - and my driveway? Guess it doesn't work that way. Just stay safe. It is great being able to share with various Sunday School classes this month. I don't have much opportunity to do so. Enjoying sharing vision 2013. How to listen to a sermon: I shared a thought on that this morning. Ginger - all the pastors I know - spend hours in prayer and preparation to bring a Word from the Lord each week. If you want to listen better make it a practice to pray to hear from the Lord. You probably don't need hours, just a breath - God, may I hear your Word today. Great potential. I was driving home from my folks in Appleton City yesterday. Travelling along Highway 52 I noticed a lady walking toward her mailbox and she slipped and fell. I tried to watch the rearview mirror but wasn't sure if she got up or not. I told Cindy a lady fell. Then turned into a driveway and went back to make sure she got up. I would have felt pretty bad if something would have happened. Anyway when we got back she was back in her house. I suppose all was well. Then I looked for a place to turn around and continue on. I pulled into a farm drive and got stuck! But it wasn't too bad. Pulled up a little and gave it the gas and was back on track. What do you make of that? One more thing. Academy Awards tonight. We have members who have seen all movies and could make a very educated prediction on the winners. Personally - I haven't seen any of them. Not much of a movie guy (at least not good, critically acclaimed movies). But enjoy. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Cindy and I made a quick trip to the hometown this afternoon. Mom and Dad are preparing to move into an assisted living place in Appleton City. We wanted to go down and see their new place. They will be living among familiar people who are already looking forward to them joining their community. We are so thankful for a place where they can enjoy themselves and not have anything to worry about. I still expect the folks at the restaurant will see plenty of them even though meals are included in their new place. I have to say my hometown is an amazing place. Dad was in business there for over 40 years. Mom must have taught everyone in town at some time. They are fixtures in A.C. I can't begin to express how grateful we all are for the way people care for my folks. They stop in to visit. They offer to take them places. They look in on them and make sure things are ok. It is a real source of comfort knowing that so many help our family. In a very real way this is what the church is like. We care for each other. We help. We serve. We make sure. I recognize so many of the characteristics of my hometown in our church. You are a true blessing with whom to share life. Community in a Christian sense is a wonderful thing. When we left this afternoon we got together and said a little prayer. I am sure my mom and dad will bring even more light to a great place and that God will bless them greatly in this new step of life. Just like God will do with each of us as we continue to trust in Him. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

This Wednesday we begin the season in the Church year called Lent. This is traditionally a time of introspection, self-examination and repentance. This is a time people consider their own mortality. Dust to dust and ashes to ashes. As we were created from the dust of the earth so we return. Frankly that does not sound really exciting does it? Still the season of Lent serves to prepare us for Easter and our new life in the risen Lord Jesus. During Lent we often choose to practice a form of self-denial. Consider something you might "give up" for Lent. The purpose of this is to practice self-discipline. Another practice for the season of Lent might be to "take up" a new practice or devotion. Basically we are invited to take this time until Easter to be intentional about Christian discipleship, devotion and growth. We will begin the season this Wednesday with our Ash Wednesday services. The first will be at 6:30 a.m. Come on your way to work or school and reflect, receive the sign of the ashes and holy communion. We will also have a service at 7:00 p.m. offering the same graces. Together we are invited to walk the way of Christ during this season of Lent. I hope to see you Wednesday. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

We are working through a message series called "The Power of Habit." We have been looking at ways to change bad habits and create new ones. We have learned a person cannot extinguish a bad habit, only change it. We have further discovered that it is possible to develop new patterns, or habits, in life. A huge point revolves around the need to believe that change is possible. We have pointed out that even if someone was not interested in Christianity they could still gain from the book and messages. A person can develop new patterns (habits) in life and make life better. We are able to do things that will make us better people. But I have tried to be pretty clear about including another dimension. I am inviting people to look at the Power of Habit through a spiritual lens. Those who seek to follow Jesus Christ need not settle for behvior modification. We are invited to place ourselves in the presences of God and through the work of the Holy Spirit may experience not only changes in behavior but a transformed life. Frankly to consider the Christian life any less than transforming sells the whole thing short. Yet we often fail to grasp the possibilities the Gospel presents. Kendra Creasy Dean is a teacher of youth ministry. She wrote a book titled "Almost Christian." The basic theme of her work is that youth (taking their cue from parents and other people of influence) adhere to "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism." It is not only young people who think of the faith in these terms. Many people believe the faith is meant to give us some tools to make us a little better than we might be without it. Often a bigger concerns from parents is that the faith will help their kids be a little better so as not to embarrass them. That is the Moral part. The Therapeutic part means we consider God's purpose making us happy. The Deism part indicates God is a distant being who is suppossed to come around when we need help for something. It seems to me this is a far cry from Biblical Christianity. I truly beleive that following Jesus is much more than another self-help technique. Following Jesus means more than making us a little better (moral) than we used to be. Following Jesus will never reduce God to one responsible for making us happy. Following Jesus will not allow us to keep God at a distance useful only for times when we get in trouble. So back to The Power of Habit. It is not merely self-improvement. It is not merely behavior modification. The Power of Habit reminds us we may develop patterns, habits, that when trusted to the risen, living Lord Jesus Christ, will transform our lives. There is one more message in the series. Next week we wrap it up. The Power of Habit will make you more fruitful! It's been a good day. (Now for the Super Bowl). I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Certainly good to be feeling better. We had a good day today. I'm giving a little re-cap from the message this weekend. One idea challenges us to consider ways to respond in various situations. When tempted to condemn - offer compassion When tempted to be angry - offer kindness When you know you are right, and right makes might - offer humility and meekness When frustrated - seek patience When tempted to stand in judgment - find seeds of forgiveness. When we begin to make these actions habits we find our lives changing. I hope you are developing some new patterns (habits) this year. God is about the business of transforming lives. As we continue to develop "routines" that come from following Christ we find our lives being changed. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

For the third time (I think) since 1976 I could not answer the bell to preach today. For all of you who have wrestled with this "crud" I feel your pain! Hopefully this thing will run its course - with some help from the doctor - and I will soon be back among you. Psalm 30:2 says, "Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me." I must say that has been on my mind today. Here is a reminder to ask God for help. Some of our most meaningful prayers are very simple. "God send help!" So today I join all of you in asking God to help. Health Finances Relationship Work Just fill in the blank. God send help. Thank you It's been a good day (in spite of feeling lousy). I hope you've had a truly good day Steve