Lord, as I take time to prepare for worship this week and over the next few months, be with me in voice and Spirit. Open my eyes to the possibilities of worship and where I need to be and what I need to say. Inspire me to listen before I speak and to pray before I think, so that what I do and prepare will be something that will bless the folks at St. James and please you.
Help me, as well, find a way to motivate and inspire them so that they can take a more active part in the work of their own church, especially Shannon's work with the After-school program.
I really need your support so I can help lead a stronger, more active congregation that will not only meet the needs of our community but also inspire that community to come to you.
Thanks for a total 'crash' day without agendas or anything scheduled other than my monthly conference with my PoE "Hidden Manna" friends. They are such a blessing, and it was great to chat and unload a bit with them.
Lord, I'm reminded of my value by them, something I have a hard time remembering myself, so help me live up to what they see, and what you created in me.
Lord, thanks for another good day of worship and for all the folks that make it possible. Thanks also for Anna's continued improvement. Help her to keep getting better as she figures out what she can and can't eat, and help us to be supportive and helpful and patient in caring for her.
Having conducted a Memorial service last week and with another one coming along this week you can well imagine that thoughts of the purpose and meaning of life are foremost in my mind. As always, my basic answer, remains unchanged. Our main purpose in life, straight out of one of the doctrinal texts that have served Presbyterians for hundreds of years, is that we are here to glorify and enjoy God. The answer to why we are here is even simpler: we are here because God loves us. I know that these simple phrases might seem trite or even cliché, but in my experience, they are the clearest and most concise way answer to our existence.
Our problem in accepting and understanding this simple response to the meaning of life is our great separation from God, and in many cases a very, very, very poor understanding of just how much God loves us and wants us to be closer to him. In the midst of dealing with funerals and the potential of a few more, given the great age of a few folks here at St. James, I have a Facebook friend who is very much pregnant, and thrilled to be so. She is looking forward to the birth of her baby girl with a love, joy and passion that is infectious.
That love, joy and passion is exactly what God directs towards each of us, not just at our birth, but throughout our lives. Well, OK, there are moments during our life when God’s joy is somewhat diminished, but His love and passion never abate. If we could understand how God feels about us and, more importantly, if we could return even a small portion of that love, joy and passion heavenward, we would be far better able to understand why we are here and what we’re supposed to be doing.
Some folks derive purpose and meaning by doing stuff to the exclusion of God. Physically fulfilled, they are nevertheless nowhere near to being spiritually or emotionally satisfied. Without God at the center of life, our doing has no meaning or purpose. Most of us fall into that category. When I look at my own life and consider how important it was to me to find the right job, I realize that my priorities were way off base for the longest time.
I’m not alone in that respect: we worry about our kids having the right job; we stress about keeping the job we have or finding a job after we’ve lost one. Sure, good work and a paycheque are important, but we have bought into that system so much that we have lost sight of what really matters. What really matters is that God should be at the top of our priority list, not someplace way down the page.
The earliest Christians had it right: they shared everything and put themselves wholly in God’s hands. As a result of their faith they wanted for nothing and worried even less. There’s a powerful lesson there for all humanity: maybe it’s time to stop asking the questions and start living the answers. Maybe the time has come to worry less and start loving God with all our hearts and minds and souls.
Yet another busy day trying to catch up from a busy week; thanks for the Legion and my work as their Padre. Thanks, as well, for what the Legion represents and the men and women that so faithfully served our nation in a time of crisis.
Help me to be supportive of their work, and to do my best to honour their sacrifice by keeping up to the standards and values our nation holds dear, and that reflect what you expect of all humanity.
A pretty full day; a good celebration of Jack's life; lot's of people came to remember and honour him, and his daughters and family helped make the service special and personal for him.
Thanks for Scott's farewell dinner, too. We'll miss him at Presbytery and I'm miss him being close by as a friend. Help us stay close, even though we'll be far apart. Bless him as he starts his new ministry and his family as they make such a big transition. Be especially close to Gabrielle and Zoe as they start a new school in a new city. It's going to be hard, but I know with your help they'll do well.
Thanks of Anna's slow but steady progress as well; she's had so much to deal with and so much pain, but hopefully her new diet will put that in the past. Be with Lois as she tries to cope with an unwell daughter, and her own aches and pains.
Well, preparations are well under way for Jack's funeral and the family seems to be coping well.
One young man, however had a rough time during the visitation, and I was able to be with him for a bit to help him deal with things. Thanks for putting me there, and for giving me the skills I need to help others.
Thanks, also, for all the folks that have been providing me support in other ways, with the physical work of moving furniture, or just giving me a chance to talk; they are such a blessing, and I pray that I can be a blessing in return.
A good visit with Lois K, a week after she lost Owen. It's such a tough time for her, but she has a tremendous faith and a great support network in her family. Help me to walk alongside her and to help her however she needs. Let me be a source of support and direction as she figures out what to do and what her ever so brief marriage and painful loss mean to her.
In the meantime, thanks for taking Jack home with you. It's such a relief to his girls, although it's also very hard. Again, help me to take care of them and do what they need to see them through the next few days.
A good meeting with the Admin committee of Presbytery. It's a good group of people to work with and to find support.
It was also a pretty good Session meeting; they too are supportive and understand the challenges of folks that have a hard time adapting. I thank you for their care and wisdom. I especially thank you for the three new Elders that have come on board, and pray that you will be with them and help them fit in and work well. Finally, Lord, I pray for those Elders whose terms are finished and are stepping down. Help them find rest from their work on Session, and to find new and different ways to serve you.
Help me, Lord, as I work through the fallout of the person that's so displeased with some of my work.
Well, a good day and a bad day. Great results from our first Fall Family Fun night, not many kids, but a lots of fun and a ton of work from Shannon made it wonderful. One person reacting poorly made it difficult. Can't win sometimes. We're trying to do something worthwhile, but some folks can't move from old patterns. Meanwhile Jack continues to hold on to life, so trying to support everyone appropriately is a little hard. Tiring, too.
I need your help; I also pray for Jack and his family, asking you to take care of him and his daughters. It's hard for them to wait and not to be able to do anything for him. Still, they're being there with him and talking to him and loving him are what he needs, and they are meeting his needs in a truly Christ-like way. Thanks for their wonderful example of family and faithfulness.
Another wonderful worship service, and a very busy day with Sound of Music rehearsals.
Thanks, God.
Got to see Jack and his girls, Linda and Susan. They're great!
I am currently serving as Moderator of the Presbytery of Essex-Kent. I’m not sharing this information to brag, as it’s not a world-changing job, but because of one of the ‘tools’ I’ve been given to use while in office. A moderator’s job is to ensure that discussions are civil, on topic and not too long and to keep the meeting running smoothly and orderly. The symbol of this responsibility is a little wooden hammer-like device known as a gavel. Traditionally, the gavel is struck to bring the meeting to order, to denote when a vote is made and finalized. Its sharp noise carries over the din of friendly banter and is a clear indicator that a decision is FINAL!
As the Moderator of the Presbytery of Essex-Kent I get not one, but two, count ‘em two gavels. One is the real deal, with a suitably engraved brass plate naming our Presbytery. The other is a huge, ex-circus strength tester capital H Hammer that, if I ever did use it, it would attract attention both because of its thundering noise and the smashed table that would result from the impact upon it.
Artfully decorated with a flower, the mighty circus hammer, or to be precise, the maul, (your new word for the day) is strictly for show and conversation. Not only is it far too noisy and dangerous to deploy, it’s also far to unwieldy for regular use. Sure, the maul would make a point, but chances are I’d have to have my shoulder slipped back into place if I employed it with any frequency. In fact, our meetings are sufficiently peaceful and orderly that I don’t even have to use the real gavel to keep things running nicely. On the odd occasion that there is a need to bring things down a notch, I can usually make myself heard without need to bang either heads or gavels.
The Presbytery Maul is strictly ceremonial. It and similar devices serve either for fun or as conversation starters. They certainly serve no practical purpose. My maul, however, might have some use, at least in the course of today’s thoughts. My maul reminds me that there are things in our lives that are well-intentioned, and perhaps even far more practical than a great honkin’ hammer, but are equally ceremonial, and therefore, useless.
Folks love to hang crosses on their walls or around their necks as a sign of their faith. Sometimes, however, it’s their only act of faith. While the symbol reminds us of Jesus’ resurrection, their lifestyle points more to Jesus’ rejection than His place in their lives. I’m not trying to be judgmental here. I know how hard it can be to place Christ at the center of your life without appearing to be a religious fanatic or being more like a maul than a gentle tap on the shoulder. Still, if we’re going to display something that points to our faith, we better make sure that we ourselves live up to the faith we’re trying to make visible. Or, better yet, we can forget the ceremonial symbol and be a practical sign of whom and what Jesus is.
Lot's to do in terms of little chores, but nothing too stressful. Final preparations are well under way for Monday's Fall Family Fun night, and there was some time just to relax.
Now it seems that David is getting close to a young lady, which nice, and Anna is starting to feel better, albeit ever so slowly.
Thanks for your many blessings.
Jack is still holding on, and his girls are still with him. wnat a blessing they are.
It's been a busy week and today was fairly quiet; jack continues to hold on. His daughters have been great and it's been a joy to get to know them, even though the circumstances are less than pleasant. They support him well and are there all the time. It's good to see such care.
Help me take care of them in this time of need and to be a source of support and encouragement.
Help Jack as well, as he slows down and prepares to make his final exit home to you.
Plans are progressing for our Fall Family Fun night; it should be a good night; Shannon is so enthusiastic and capable. It's a blessing to have her. I pray that we can offer her the support that she needs.
I pray as well that we can continue to support Darryl as he needs as he leads St. James so capably.
Stress level down in one way, having finished with Owen, but stress level up dealing with Jack in palliative care. Meanwhile, the rest of life carries on with it's normal busy-ness. Thanks, God, for Lois and her support.
Thanks also that we seem to be getting ahead with Anna and slowly figuring out what she can and can't eat.
I pray for your continued support and blessing.
A long day. Owen's memorial was a blessing for all. His family has been so supportive of Lois, and they all get along so well with his.
The challenge grew however when I phoned home to find out that one of our long time parishioners had been placed in palliative care. Went right to the hospital after getting to town so I could be with the family a bit. It feels like I'm going from the frying pan right in to the fire.
It's been a kind of busy day getting ready for on one hand and also just trying to relax. Stress level is high but it's manageable.
