Has anyone seen that Nunn with my 2nd life lesson point?

July 23, 2009

Before I begin to share today, I wanted to remind everyone that this Sunday is the deadline to bring school supplies for our School House Rock Outreach Project. We still need more writing paper, child size scissors and construction paper. Thank you for supporting teachers and children at Austin Rd. Elementary!

Well I told you on Tuesday’s post that I was going to tell you another lesson that I learn from the Nunn, but to be honest with you I can’t remember what the second thing I was thinking about was. I didn’t write down what I was thinking, so it is gone. If the thought returns I will share i… and no I am not OLD, I just have a very good forgetter.

I know there’s a lot of debate going on about government controlling health care on the news and there are many opinions about it. So I thought I would share with you my thoughts for what they are worth. I don’t have a political opinion, I have a practical one. The one positive thing this has done is started conversation over a big problem… and it is health care in our county and it’s cost. I think this is a big issue and we have to solve it the right way and the only way to do that is by having conversations about it.

I don’t think having a government take over is the answer. For one reason it never helps the poor. Last week while on vacation, we drove to Cleveland, Ohio to have a picnic on the shore of Lake Erie. I needed gas so I pulled off the interstate and ended up in the projects or government funded neighborhood. So many people had looks of hopelessness and rejection. It seems everything the government “runs” is not good… outside of the army.

Every time you take a person’s need to work and earn away from them, you rob them of their will. You destroy their life because you tell them, if they will live here we will provide everything for you. It kills the human spirit.

A life lesson I have had to learn as a parent and as a pastor is that you can’t do life for people. You must let them fail and not bail them out but offer a way out..

That’s why God gave the church to the world, it is to restore the human spirit by introducing them to God through his son, Jesus. The bible tells us over and over to help the poor, we are instructed not to give a hand out but a hand up. I think it starts by teaching people this one lesson of Lordship that Jesus said in  Matthew 6:24 (NIV) “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve both God and Money. We are instructed by God to listen to him and tell money what to do, but the problem is our culture is listening to money (money talks) and trying to tell God what to do.

a van trip and an expression of love

I have been on a road trip the last two days.  A fellow minister’s mother passed away and he serves in our denomination.  So, I rode on a van with five young pastors to Kentucky.  I can tell you things can get very interesting when pastors start to get bored.  They begin to tease each other, tell of all the heroic things they have done, and all the stupid things they have done and said.  I can tell you, the stupid things said and done were way more numerous than anything else.  We laughed at each other and poked fun at each other and left each other just before getting to the point of not wanting to be around each other.

 

Our friend was very glad to see us and very emotional when we walked into the Church for his mother’s funeral.  He kept saying, “I will never forget this and I can’t tell you how much this means to me to know how far you’ve all drove to get here.”  We drove to express our love for him and the work he does to make our lives better.  It was amazing how we had no words to comfort him, we were just there.  You know, we get it all wrong when it comes to love most of the time as a husband, wife, parent, friend or neighbor.  We think it is what we give, do, or say that expresses the greatest love. I don’t think it is that at all.  I think it is just being there, that is one of the greatest expressions of love.

 

I believe that is what we will remember most in our lives.  It is the people who were there in our time of need.  I pray that SCC will be a church known as a group of people who will be there for the people in Henry County in times of need to express God’s love.

 

John 13:35 (Msg)   This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”

 

Sunday Reflections

My thoughts:

 

Ø What an amazing day with 400 people in Church on such a horrible weather day.

 

Ø We have the greatest volunteers serving in our parking lot, they walked through the cold rain to keep everyone dry.

 

Ø Yes, I said that we will go down in history for changing the way we as a church and county think about money.

 

Ø Yes, I said that we should make sure all of our Washington representative can manage their own money before we send them to manage our tax dollars.

 

Ø The question was raised, “why not us?”  Why can’t we be the people God uses to spark a change in our country and in the way we handle money.  We have a proven method given in the Bible that has worked for every person who has put it into practice. 

 

Ø Thank God for influence he has given SCC in the community to give the people an opportunity for a better life.

 

Ø I do believe God is wanting to use his church to bring hope to the world, more than that I believe God wants each of us individually to give hope and help to all those around us.

 

Ø Question of the day “If not you then, who? and if not now when?” 

 

I will leave you with this: I believe it is our time as the people of God to stand up to help the people in our church and community in any way we can.  True life only happens when you feel you are contributing to make someone’s life better. 

 

Luke 18:27 (NIV)   Jesus said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”

 

 

Sunday Reflections

Today I am still trying to let Sunday sink in.  All of the stories that I heard of Stockbridge Community Church doing good for others is overwhelming.  I was totally shocked when I heard Denese Rodgers tell us that 1,400 people’s needs were met this Christmas and largely because of the people of this Church.  How many times do you hear someone who works with the government say we couldn’t have done it without a Churches help.

 

I know I pastor the greatest church in the world, not because SCC is a perfect church, because the day I showed up as the pastor it became imperfect.  It’s not because we don’t have problems, because anytime you have people, you have problems.   I think I have figured out what makes SCC such a great church, it is the fact that we love God and we have learned as a church how to express that for God by loving one another and our community.

 

I pray we never let go of real love, the kind that keeps expressing itself in what we do for others.  Thank you SCC for loving one another and loving the community the way you have. I can’t tell you how my heart runs over with gratitude for you

What’s the point of gifts?

I have been thinking a lot about Christmas and the gift giving.  I have asked myself, “Why do I give gifts?”  I hate to admit this, but most are out of obligation and not because I want to.  This is totally opposite of what Christmas is all about.  Christmas is all about giving, but not like I have been and I would dare to say that’s the way most give. 

 

So, I have done this soul searching and have asked myself, “Why are Christmas gifts given?”  Well, here’s the conclusion I have come to.  Christmas gifts are to be given as an expression of love.  If I give a gift for any other reason it, leaves me feeling empty.  With that thought in mind, I will not give my grandmother another $20 gift card to Walmart.  I will take her on a date.  The greatest gift I can give her is me.  You know I think that is what all of our family wants is more of us and less stuff.  They want us to be there when we are there and not ready to run out the door. 

 

Maybe this Christmas I will walk into my parent’s home with a bow on my head, with all my family present, and say, “I am here, all of me is here, I am not in a hurry, let’s visit awhile.”