Busy, busy, busy...

Hello again everybody!

It's been way too long once again since I've had time to write. As the holidays draw near every year, I promise myself that I will slow down and really enjoy the season. However, that never seems to happen. The holidays are supposed to be about love, kindness, patience, good cheer and giving. A very Christ-like sentiment.

But it seems that it is totally the opposite for most of us. There's impatience waiting in long lines at the registers, no love for those around us vying for the same sweater we want, no kindness for the person in line ahead of us with 50 items in the "20 items only" lane, so much giving that our finances are stretched out to the max, and forget any good cheer. Why do we do this to ourselves every year?

During a time in which we should be celebrating the greatest gift ever given to mankind, we are so pushed to our limits that we can't slow down long enough to even acknowledge Christ. Shop, shop, shop! Plan, plan, plan! Cook, cook, cook! Off to Grandma's and Grandpa's! Then to Aunt Shirley's! Run quickly to Cousin Bob's! Mush! Mush! Faster and faster! We over extend ourselves to the point that either we are too tired to be any good for anything, or too crabby for anybody to want to be around us. We need to STOP IT! Two simple words that will make your life so much more simple and enjoyable. Here's another good one: NO. As much as we want to do everything and be with everyone, sometimes we need to say "NO" and put the brakes on our lives that seem to run out of control constantly. Maybe then we will get back to focusing on the real reason for the season.

As I looked at the songs we sing every year in church at Christmas, none of them are about shopping, eating, running from place to place. They are about the things that mattered. "Silent Night", "Away in a Manger", "Joy to the World", "Hark the Herald Angels Sing", etc... it's all about Jesus. Try to take time in the last few days of this year to say no to a few more parties, places and things, and say yes to spending more time with Jesus.

God's blessings,

Pastor Brian

Halloween or Not?

Hello everyone! It's that time of year. The time when the weather gets cooler, the leaves are changing, and my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, is almost here. But there's another holiday before it that creates so much controversy. Especially for Christians. And you all know it's Halloween...

Why does a time of year when you get to dress your children up and go door to door and get FREE CANDY cause such a stir in the church? Because of it's origins. If you don't know where it started and what it used to be about, here is an article that will help:http://www.loc.gov/folklife/halloween.html

So Halloween has it's pagan roots and practices, some of which are still practiced today, others which have long since disappeared. I remember as a child dressing up as one of many different characters. One year I was Snoopy, another CP3O (because I was and still am a Star Wars geek), Batman and many others. We would go visit family members first, then go door to door worshiping the devil in several neighborhoods that we new were safe. Who didn't?

Okay, in all honesty, do you remember preparing to worship satan every Halloween, or do you remember getting excited for parties at school and getting free candy? Mine was the latter. Now my parents didn't let me dress up like anything scary, and at that time most kids didn't want to. Maybe the scariest thing you saw was a witch or a ghost costume. We used to have so much fun and got all the candy we could eat! But, as everything man touches, we perverted it and made it so much sicker now than it was so many years ago. Our children's innocence has been sold out for the higher profits that depravity brings.

Eyeballs hanging out, bloody butcher knife wielding psychopaths, disgusting looking zombies... and those aren't the worst. Look closely at the costumes for kids the next time you are at the store. I, being a children's pastor, like looking for costumes for dramas and musicals that we may do. Can you ever really have enough gray-haired wigs or beards? Angel costumes? But the playful focus that costumes had when I was a kid doesn't exist anymore. What I see is the blatant sexualizing of our children. There is almost no difference between "adult" costumes and children's costumes. Why? Because we live in moral decay. Our society is getting sicker and sicker. It's not enough to see a suspenseful movie anymore. It has to be blatantly over gory and twisted. A veritable blood bath for people to be scared. Once again, a society in decay...

But should we avoid Halloween then? That is a personal choice up to each individual. I think it's one of the greatest opportunities to witness to those around us the glorious grace of God. When, outside of Halloween, do you have that many unsaved people come to your door? Matt McKey said it best in his blog: "You can leverage it to build relationships for the future or you can boycott it and lose the opportunity." You can read the rest of his blog here: http://www.mattmckee.me/happy-halloween-church-kidmin/

Parents, I would encourage you return to the days of when dressing up your child as a princess, fireman, super hero or teacher was cool. Or maybe even their favorite Bible character? Back to a time when for one night we got to pretend to be someone else and get free candy. Lose the gore and depravity. Let's restore the innocence to our kids that society as a whole has taken away. And if you are staying home and passing out candy, leverage that opportunity by giving the best candy you can. God always gives us His best. Become that house that every child wants to go to because they remember your generosity. That's when real witnessing can begin...

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

PS - Everyone knows that a "Harvest Party" is the same thing as a "Halloween Party". Just like a "gospel illusion" is the same as a "magic trick". Get over it!

The Season is Changing...

Hello again!

I'm sorry it's been so long again since my last blog. Too many things just pop up and take time away from other things, as you all well know. But I am working on making a change in my life and everything I do in it. Is blogging the most important thing on my "TO DO" list? No, but there is something about being able to share with others the things God is doing in your life that is very freeing and refreshing. So, while not at the top of the list, it is slowly moving up the ladder...

As I have looked outside over the last few weeks, I've noticed the days getting shorter, the weather is getting cooler and the leaves on the trees are starting to change colors. Why? Because Fall is here. The season is changing. The seasons serve to remind me of a few things. First, what beauty God has created in this world we live in. Not everybody enjoys every season, but you have to admit that they all carry their own unique beauty.

In the Spring, everything starts growing. We see the buds on the trees and plants as they begin to come back to life. We hear the songs of animals as they start the mating season. Then comes Summer. The sunshine makes us all want to be outside. We work on many projects that need taken care of outside of our homes. Maybe we go spend the day at the beach, enjoying playing in the waves, or just listening to the crashing waves while we relax with a good book? Then Fall comes. The sun still shines, but not as long. And the coolness of the wind brings relief from the heat of the Summer. The leaves start to change color, and the air takes on this special aroma that can only be described as autumn. Like moist leaves and burning wood. Finally comes Winter. Everything goes dormant or dies as the cold and snow cover it all. And yet, there is nothing more beautiful than waking up in the morning and looking out your window at the soft, white blanket that has covered everything. There is a feeling of purity the first time the snow falls on everything. And the joy you feel when outside playing in it overcomes the feeling of bitter cold that is caressing your cheeks.

But God is also reminding us through His handiwork, that we all go through seasons in our life. We have our Fall season, where things in our lives must start to die. We have our Winters, when everything feels cold and quite. But then comes our Springs, when new growth begins to replace that which had to die in ourselves. And finally, our Summers, when we can enjoy our days in His son, Jesus. The Bible says this:

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

¹ There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Anne Bradstreet, I believe said it best:

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

I want it NOW, Lord!!!

Hello again everybody,

It's funny how I thought that after Summer, my days would be less full and I would get SOOOO much more accomplished and really get back into blogging regularly. HA!HA!HA! For those of you not in ministry, there is no such thing as slow days. Ministry is always happening.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm really not complaining. When you are called into ministry, you sign on for the long haul. The late night phone calls, hospital visits, replacing sick Sunday School teachers at the last minute, etc... It will certainly test your patience. And take time away from everything you may have planned for your day. I've recently tried to spend time looking for new curriculum for Kid's Church, and it just seems that I can't get it done. I found a few that I liked, but I just can't seem to go ahead and order any. I spend time daily praying that God shows me what He would have me teach the kids, but I've heard nothing yet. Today I decided to cry out,"Lord, give me an answer right now! I've got to get this done!"

Bold move, right? And you know what happened??? Nothing. No ideas, no release to order something online, not a single clue. How long can I spend struggling on this one thing? I have other obligations to get to. Important visits, meetings, phone calls and ministry that has to get done ASAP. The more my ministry grows, the less time I have! And then it dawned on me.

I haven't really been waiting on the Lord. I have tried to fit HIS WILL into MY SCHEDULE. And you know what? That never works. Our timeline is incredibly short in God's grand scheme of things. What God wants for His people doesn't always fit into our over-scheduled, too busy lives. Did wandering the desert for 40 years fit into the Israelites plan? No. Did they cause it by their own disobedience and lack of patience with God? Yes. So the question is: Are we being disobedient when we expect God to work in our timing? I think I am learning this lesson the hard way.

So tomorrow I plan on continuing to pray that God shows me what He wants for His children, knowing that it may take longer than I like, but He will provide daily what I need and never give me more than I can handle. And when the time is right, God will then open up my eyes and heart to His will and show me His plans, all in His perfect timing.

Psalm 33:11 But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Unpopular beliefs...

Good morning everyone,

Once again it has been a while since I've had some time to post anything. But don't take this as an apology. When ministry calls, ministry calls. God's work is top priority. That being said, I have a little something I want to discuss. Okay, maybe get off of my chest is a better description.

This past week on Facebook, I posted something somewhat controversial. I decided to vent about something that our President has commented on and supported. Know what I'm talking about yet? Most of you do. I posted my feelings on the building of the mosque by Ground Zero in New York. My belief is that it is a bad idea. Sure, it will be two blocks away from there, but if you have never seen a mosque, you don't realize the size that they are. There are some smaller ones, but this doesn't appear to be the case with the proposed one. It would be very visible.

Now, not everybody agrees with me. Just like I have religious freedom to worship the way and where I choose to, so should the people who are Islamic. That I think is correct. See, I don't think that they are all terrorists. I don't think any of them are responsible for what happened there. But what I do think is that it is just in bad taste. A really bad idea. Why? It serves as a constant reminder to the people that lost someone that ill-fated day. There was a group of people, all be it a RADICAL group of these believers, that premeditated the murder of thousands of innocent people. Some say that this is how they show their superiority, by building a mosque on conquered ground. Maybe.

But that is no different than Christians over thousands of years. Any time we conquered people in history, did we not build a church there for us to worship our God? We still do that to this day. However, did we or do we convert people to our way of thinking by force? Not in this day and age. So, I choose not to believe that line of thought as to why they want to build a mosque there.

What about the idea that it is meant to be a slap in the face of America? A big "Ha, ha!" at us? Well, I don't believe that to be the case either, because once again I don't believe that they were part of the radical group who chose to do what they did on 9/11. It had already been a meeting place for them. They own the land and have probably had plans to build there someday anyway. Unfortunately, what happened that day damaged those plans.

So why don't I agree with building there? It is just in poor taste. Not to mention, we have people in our country that may look at such a place with such hatred and outrage, who knows what they might do? Do we need another tragedy or reason for violence there? No. Our President stands on the laws that govern our nation, and I can respect that. They have every right to build on their property and worship how they choose. But there have been offerings of land elsewhere in the city that would be less distracting for those who lost loved ones & friends, as well as provide less animosity in an already distraught city.

We would like to believe we can look past what has happened in the past, but as humans we have a tendency to hold onto the things that raise up our flesh the most. The best of men are men at best. We are flawed, sinful creations that only by God's grace have the freedom to be who we are in Christ Jesus. Some in others countries give their lives for that privilege. Others in our country have died to protect that privilege, for all of us, no matter what we believe. I don't know what God's will is in this, but I know it is a perfect will, and in His perfect timing, not for us to understand but to be obedient in His greatest commandment: "Love each other."

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Can't We All Just Get Along...

Hey everyone,

It's been a long time since my last blog. My summer has been incredibly busy!!! Vacation Bible School, Kid's Camp, visitation... VACATION! I'm probably the only children's pastor who has taken vacation in the summer time. You learn very early that summer is prime ministry time. That makes time off not really time off. You just worry while you are away about the next thing coming up. But onto the real reason I'm here.

This last week I went to Kid's Camp 2010, but not as a counselor this year. This year, Beverly and I had the privilege of being Assistant Directors to Curt Rozean. We were very excited about this opportunity to serve not only our church kids, but the kids of the Sullivan Section.

We had 601 kids last week, and around 250 workers. And the heat was on!!! We had to keep the kids wet just to make sure none of them spontaneously burst into FLAMES! Okay, maybe not. But it was hot. And when kids get hot and tired, the worst has a tendency to come out. I came fully expecting to have some major camper issues to deal with. However, it came as a complete shock that we only really had two camper problems, but TONS of counselor issues. I understand that we were all exhausted and hot, but to be the role models, examples of Jesus to these kids, we failed miserably. So many bad attitudes, fits of anger, disrespect of one another... and WE CALL OURSELVES CHRISTIANS.

I never may have known any of this, but Curt needed to go home for a few days and tend to some personal things, so Beverly and I became fill-in directors until he came back Thursday afternoon. I nick-named Beverly "U.N." for the week, as it clearly became a peace-keeping mission. The Bible says that people will know who we are by our actions. I'm not sure they would have known any of us were Christians. But, I can tell you that with lots of prayer and understanding, we made it through and it was the best week of camp for the kids. When the heat is on, do you let even the little things get you fired up? If so, you are bound to eventually get burned. Take a deep breath, say a little prayer, and look around to see who is watching you, because you just might be surprised.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

A Father's Pain For His Broken Hearted Child...

Hello again,

I find myself writing today as therapy for my own heart and soul. Let me explain... As some of you know, I have three teenagers. The two oldest are my daughters, the youngest my son. As teenagers grow up and start feeling out their independence, they also find that the opposite sex isn't quite so yucky anymore. They don't see them as cootie infested monsters. No more "Run! Run away!" Suddenly it's "Slow down so maybe someone will catch me!" And it will happen, mark my words.

Both of my daughters have found themselves in a place where they thought that maybe they found that special someone. The person that they could share their thoughts and feelings with, things once reserved only for Mom and Dad. And they have given their hearts not in haste, but in prayer and patience, not wanting to make a mistake, trying to be sure that the first one is the right one. That special person God has placed on this earth for them... and then comes disappointment and heart break. It hits like a whirlwind. An emotional tornado that ravages their very gentle and soft hearts.

As a father, you take time to listen to them, as they share what they believe is their world coming apart at the seams. There are plenty of tears, loud sobs and feelings of betrayal. How could this happen to them? What did they do wrong? "Why me?" And as a father, you can physically hear their hearts breaking inside of them. How could they do this to my daughter? Don't they know how very special she is? How very precious? The great things she brings to this world? How blind are they? You go through feelings of frustration and anger, all the while wanting to make your little girl feel better. To mend her broken heart. To hug her until everything melts away. You go through the heartache with them.

And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. How much more did God feel about watching His son die on the cross for us? Jesus went to the garden to pray (Matt. 26:36-39) and asked "if this cup could be passed from me..." But he knew that he would have to go through it. Just like my little girls had to go through their first heart-breaks. They didn't want to. And here I am, as a father, watching and knowing it had to happen. How heart-broken must Jesus have been when he had to bear the sin of the world, and the Father who had to endure the pain of watching it happen the whole time, knowing His son must go through it? I think I now have an even greater idea of the sacrifice made for my heart and soul, the love of a Father who sees me go through hard times, and who shares in the pain we must all go through. And much like He is always willing to hold me in His arms and bring me comfort, so am I willing to do the same for my own children.

Serving Him,

Pastor Brian