God – Page 2 – Pastor Barry's Blog

Easter Sunday (a.k.a. Picture Day)…

Yesterday was Easter – a busy day around our house! As a pastor, Sundays and the weekend are always busy, but when it’s Easter weekend the level of activity ramps up just that much more. You have to plan for Easter…

For example – just try and eat out after church on Easter without any reservations. You’ll find you are quickly relegated to the local Mexican Restaurant or your neighborhood McDonald’s. (Those are great places but definitely not what your wife would hope you would choose for Easter dinner.)

Easter morning arrives and we (the pastoral staff) have an awesome service planned. Today is the day that the “CEO’s” will be in church. And by “CEO” I mean the Christmas and Easter Only crowd – you know the ones you see in church only twice a year.

We know the crowds will be bigger and everyone wants the service and the day to be excellent – not just the pastors. All you have to do is watch the parade of people dressed to the nines with their new Sunday threads. This seams to be the day that new suits, hats, shoes, dresses, sweaters, and shirts make their debut. So much so that I have secretly taken to calling Easter by it’s other little known name – “Picture Day.”

It’s no different in my house. I know that it’s a special day because my daughters have new dresses, new shoes, and new accessories. Even the hot rollers have appeared on the bathroom counter just waiting for their role in this special occasion. In fact, I have to confess, I picked out (and wore) a tie for the day…

Everyone is dressed – the car is loaded – the camera is grabbed – and off we go!

This is where the picture day part comes in. Easter is a special day in the church. In fact it is THE day in the church. So it is natural that we do things extra special on this Sunday. The kids have a small program, the choir sings, baptisms are scheduled, eggs are hunted, brunch is served, and everyone is dressed to impress!

But as I sit here this Monday morning after Easter I am actually kind of disappointed. Not in my Easter experience – it was incredible and the service was amazing! But I sit disappointed because next week isn’t Easter. The cameras won’t be there….the “CEO’s” won’t be there….the fanfare won’t be there….

“Picture Day” has come and gone for another year. As a pastor this severely disappoints me! Why does it have to be that way? Why can’t we as a church strive to have every Sunday be “Picture Day?”

Let me challenge you….let’s take it a week at a time….let’s make this next year a year of 52 Sunday’s all being treated as “Picture Day’s.” The day that you roll out the very best to worship a risen Savior! The day that everything is excellent….

Now that would be cool!

Until next time…

Pastor Barry

“Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com”

The Next Level…

Recently a good friend of mine (pastor Connie Wheeler) tweeted a very reflective thought – “Why would you invite someone to follow Christ if you have no intention of leading them to the next level?….”

A great question! Why would anyone invite someone to follow Christ if they then aren’t willing to follow through with what that looks like? What does it mean to share with someone the love of Jesus and then not show them? What does it mean to say Jesus will change your life and then not help them in their journey?

We have to ask ourselves, “Are we as the body of Christ really doing what Jesus has asked us to do, are we making a difference in someone’s life and in this world we live in? ” What came to mind was the song by Josh Wilson, “I Refuse.” A song that basically says we are to live out our faith, no matter what we are given, and no matter what our circumstance!

If all of us would do this – THAT would be taking it to the next level!

Until next time…

Pastor Barry

P.S. – Here are the words to that song.

I Refuse

Sometimes I, I just want to close my eyes

And act like everyone’s alright

When I know they’re not

This world needs God, but it’s easier to stand and watch

I could pray a prayer and just move on

Like nothing’s wrong

But I Refuse

I don’t want to live like I don’t care

I don’t want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

I could choose not to move

But I Refuse

I can hear the least of these, crying out so desperately

And I know we are the hands and feet of You, oh God

So if You say move, it’s time for me to follow through

And do what I was made to do

And show them who You are

I don’t want to live like I don’t care

I don’t want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

I could choose not to move

But I refuse

I refuse to stand and watch the weary and lost cry out for help

I refuse to turn my back and try and act like all is well

I refuse to stay unchanged, to wait another day to die to myself

I refuse to make one more excuse

I don’t want to live like I don’t care

I don’t want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

I could choose not to move

But I refuse

All things orthopedic…

It will always be interesting to me to see how quickly plans and agendas can change. Take for example today, I had planned on writing about the “Great I Am.” It was an inspiring weekend and I wanted to share some insights that I discovered. However, this morning in the office has been anything but inspiring, and I would rather tell you about the mundane….

To keep a long story short – I have knee pain. More specifically, I have torn cartilage and some beginnings of arthritis. It has been hurting for sometime and so I started the process of having it looked at. This is where it gets interesting. Don’t get me wrong – I am extremely happy that I have health insurance – but the way managed health care is operating I shutter at the horror of a nationalized government regulated health care system.

In August I scheduled an appointment (for September) with my primary care physician so I could get a referral appointment with an orthopedic surgeon. I spent all of ten minutes in the doctors office and that included the blood pressure check from his nurse. Anyhow, he ordered a set of x-rays (for what I don’t know) and I was done. A day later, the referral came along with the quote “because the x-rays were inconclusive” which is what I told the doctor when he ordered them – (I’d done this before).

It then took took 2 full months to get an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon, another 3 weeks for an MRI, another 2 weeks to get back into the orthopedic surgeon, and then finally surgery was “tentatively” scheduled for February 28th. And I say “tentatively” because when I called today they told me I was “tentatively” scheduled for March 21st….Holy Cow was I frustrated. It’s not that I am looking forward to my 4th surgery on my left knee, but having gone through this previously, I know something has to be done.

But despite all my emotion (I really felt like crying…and on Valentine’s Day of all days) I had a real peace. I was reminded of what Jesus had done for me and that my hope is in Him and not man. Yes, the pain is real, which serves to remind me that if our hope is in man and his systems then we will (at some point) be disappointed. But if our hope is in Jesus we will never be disappointed!

After hanging up the phone I was reminded of the lyrics to the song Everlasting God.

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won’t grow weary

You’re the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

Just what I needed to be reminded of today…and FYI – the doctor called back and I am “un-tentatively” scheduled back on the 28th!

Until next time…

Pastor Barry

Apple A Day…

I think we have all heard this common colloquialism, but have we ever pondered it’s truth….I haven’t and I’m not sure I am going to. But as I sat here eating an apple this morning I thought of two things.

First, I hate eating apples (despite their nutritional benefits) because they are a lot of work. I simply don’t like biting into apples – they have to be cut and cored. But when they are cut and cored the apples are exposed to air and begin to turn brown. Now I know there are tricks to keep them fresh – but this simple, shiny, good tasting snack has suddenly become work.

Secondly, apples look inviting. Especially, when one is sitting there with a bite out of it. (The logo design team of a popular computer company didn’t do too badly on their design of this bitten piece of fruit.)

Anyhow, this morning’s inviting apple then made me think about Genesis 3. That’s the story about original sin.

We are told that Eve took the “fruit” and ate of it and then gave some to Adam and he ate. We aren’t told that it was an apple – but unfortunately the apple has taken the starring role in this story. I suppose I could start a campaign for another fruit like a banana or pomegranate or something, but I suppose that misses the point of the story.

The real point is that man messed up – we broke our relationship with God – but God (like a good parent) already knew how He would fix this.

Fast forward to Romans 5:6-11 and we are told that at just the right time Christ came to die for us when we were sinners and utterly helpless! Yeah God! Relationship with Him was restored!

When you are eating an apple you can think about a lot of things… For me – I am going to forever link my apple eating as a reminder about Christ’s free gift. Perhaps, the saying should actually be, “An apple a day keeps the devil at bay….”

Sappy, I know. But true!

Until next time…

Pastor Barry

The Psalmist’s Cry

Let me begin with saying that the House Studio has done it again…with the publication of the Psalmist’s Cry your small group has another great resource at its disposal.

In this book, Walter Brueggemann explores the Psalms as a guide for expressing feelings honestly. What a great tool to help us be honest with ourselves, others, and God in a world that is hungry for authentic communication and true relationship!

I highly recommend this resource, and for that matter – every resource that the House Studio has published! Go check it our for yourself.

Until next time…

Pastor Barry