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The Old Ways

Posted by Doug on Sunday, October 11, 2009 7:55:25 PM
   This morning was a tough sermon for me.  I would rather not talk about these issues.  No matter how one does it, there is usually the perception that you are picking on someone.  I hope that is not true.  Occasionally, I think it is good to go back and explain why.  Why do we think this way - why has this been a historical stand. 
   SOmetimes we get used to a certain way of doing things, but we never stop and ask - "why do we think that way?"  This morning we tried to explain why, and we will try next Sunday as well.  As always, this is a chance for dialogue, so if you want to have more conversation, that would be great.  Let's keep the conversation going.

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Spectacular

Posted by Doug on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 9:59:32 PM
     Today was a great day; no, it was a spectacular day.  It was cloud-free, about 70 degrees, and I was at one of my favorite places - Tahquamenon Falls State Park in the UP.  There is a place in the park I love.  AT the Lower Falls, you can row a boat out to an island, where the falls split and go on either side.  On the south side, there are 2 falls that are not that far apart.  The riverbed there is solid rock, so if you take your shoes off you can sit, wade, and splash in the river just above one fall, and just below another. 
   Today, with the perfect temperature, the clear water, and the first colors of fall on display, I could have sat in this one area all day.  I revel in the noise, the roar, the spray, and the feeling of rushing water around me.  I think God loves it when we revel in His creation.  When humanity decided to rebel against God, we did more than mess up our lives, we took creation with us.  With the resurrection, God intervened and began His great work of healing all creation.  Today, I could believe it, and even more, I could almost feel it.   SO in the middle of nowhere in the UP - playing in the river as a 44 year old man, I got a glimpse of what will be.  Do you believe it?  Do you live like it?

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Spectacular

Posted by Doug on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 9:59:28 PM
     Today was a great day; no, it was a spectacular day.  It was cloud-free, about 70 degrees, and I was at one of my favorite places - Tahquamenon Falls State Park in the UP.  There is a place in the park I love.  AT the Lower Falls, you can row a boat out to an island, where the falls split and go on either side.  On the south side, there are 2 falls that are not that far apart.  The riverbed there is solid rock, so if you take your shoes off you can sit, wade, and splash in the river just above one fall, and just below another. 
   Today, with the perfect temperature, the clear water, and the first colors of fall on display, I could have sat in this one area all day.  I revel in the noise, the roar, the spray, and the feeling of rushing water around me.  I think God loves it when we revel in His creation.  When humanity decided to rebel against God, we did more than mess up our lives, we took creation with us.  With the resurrection, God intervened and began His great work of healing all creation.  Today, I could believe it, and even more, I could almost feel it.   SO in the middle of nowhere in the UP - playing in the river as a 44 year old man, I got a glimpse of what will be.  Do you believe it?  Do you live like it?

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His Mercies Are New

Posted by Doug on Sunday, September 06, 2009 4:32:07 PM
    What a beautiful sight this morning, and I did not even have to go anywhere to see it.  For a number of years we have had a male and female cardinal in our backyard.  In the spring they were joined by a pair of gold finches.  A few weeks later the gold finches were gone, so Michelle started on a quest to lure the finches back.  New feeder, new food, and finally their return, even joined by another pair of goldfinches.  Then yet another feeder for chickadees, but that seemed to go unused.  This morning at 7 AM, both Cardinals were on the big feeder, 2 goldfinches were on a different feeder, and 4 chickadees busy with the new one.  All the while unaware of the eyes watching them from the window.  A flurry of red, bright gold, and stripes, and a pair of thankful eyes - thankful for the routine mercies of the day.
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The Sound of Silence

Posted by Doug on Friday, September 04, 2009 11:21:33 PM
  I have been doing something new these past few days - sitting in a quiet house.  For 21 + years my wife and I have been parents.  While we are still parents, both kids are off to college, and the house is quiet.  We are thrilled that both our kids are happy, at wonderful colleges, and serving the Lord.  It is natural for the mind to wander back over these past years.  As I do I am thankful for ll the people who were there.  The friends, coaches, and family who were there, said the right words, and did the good thing when I could not, or did not even see the thing to do. 
   Even more, I am thankful for every SUndau Schhol teacher, VBS worker, teen volunteer, and well wisher in the church who impacted the lives of my kids.  We may never know what impact we have on the lives around us, we may never see the difference we make.  I wish I could take many of these people with us when we go to visit our kids in college, because then they could see a little of that impact.  To all of those who serve others, especially in the church, thank you.  
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Don't Miss It

Posted by Doug on Saturday, April 11, 2009 11:58:37 PM
  I heard an interview on Friday.  A respected Christian leader was asked, why are Easter and Holy Week so important?  In the long response that followed, the word "resurrection" was never spoken.  The leader talked about the crucifixion and Christ's death, but nothing about rising again.  Wow!!  As important as Christ's death was, it was not meaningful without Easter morning.  Without Easter, Jesus is a moral leader whose example we could follow.  Perhaps with discipline and effort, we can become good like Jesus, but that would miss the point. 
    The resurrection is the new life we can share.  The power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to those who believe.  The risen Christ can now live in us.  This is Easter, without it - we are forever stuck with the darkness of Good Friday.  He is risen!!

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A Good Day

Posted by Doug on Saturday, April 04, 2009 3:26:27 AM
   I did something today I haven't done in awhile.  I came home this evening, ate dinner with my wife, and sat down and watched a movie with her in our living room.  From time to time, our daughter came in and talked with us.  Just the three of us, nothing special, but what a good evening.  I think at times we are tempted to stop in the middle of our routine and ask, "is this all there is?"  What if my answer is, "no, not really?"
   Think about this for a minute.  We just are not built to go from high, emotional point to high, emotional point.  Most of life is lived in our routines, in our normal, boring times.  I sure am glad that Jesus came not to a palace, but to a common, routine place.  In fact, I think Christ came to the normal, and to the least in order to make the normal and the least somehow sacred, and infused with meaning.  Perhaps the common meal is a great opportunity.  Maybe the routine question of a 6 year old is really a chance to mold a life.  Is it possible a chance meeting with an old friend can be a chance to change a life?  Perhaps.  So today, as I looked upon a healthy child, and talked with another child 2 states away, and talked with the same wife of 22+ years, I asked myself, "is this all there is?"  My answer is what more could I want?  Thank you Lord, for all your blessings on this average day.

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Meet Vernon

Posted by Doug on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 1:52:25 PM
  It seems to happen every week.   A personal challenge to my sense of the world.  This past week I spent time in Luke 18 with the rich, young ruler.  I wanted to try to get a sense of this difficult passage.  In the middle of last week, my son and his college roommate went downtown to see the sights.  Around Canal St. they met a man around 50 years of age - a homeless man.  He was black, had a bit of a beard, and had cracked, rough fingers from frostbite.  My son sat down with him and talked for nearly an hour.  He was not crazy, but he spoke vaguely of a personal loss, perhaps a death of one close to him. This death was the catalyst of a spiral that led to a corner of Canal Street.  He wanted to sketch a picture of Adam and his friend, sketching was the way he earned a few dollars to spend on his needs.  The man apologized that he only had a pencil and a few sheets of paper, his bag of supplies had been stolen only recently.  As the man sketched his friend my son went to CVS and purchased sketch pads, pencils, and colored pencils for the man, along with a few other things.  The sketch was wonderful.
   That night, as my son told the story of this encounter to me, we went through the house and collected a bundle of basic supplies, and placed them in a shoulder bag we had.  The next day my son went back to the same corner and looked for the man he had met the day before.  He looked for some time, but could not find him.  I have not been able to get this man out of my mind for this past week.  What can I do?  Is there anything?  I am not sure of the answer, but I know there are many faceless people who need a stop, a conversation, and perhaps a friend.  One thing I do know, I need to be open to meeting the people I am tempted to merely pass by.  So this summer if you see a man with cracked fingers sketching a picture of someone downtown, his name is Vernon. 


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A Long Wait

Posted by Doug on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 5:44:22 PM
  Finally!  Here it is!   Do you realize how long we have been waiting for a day like this?  It is 70 degrees and beautiful.  Today is well worth the sniffles and sneezes that my usual spring allergies are already providing.  To be honest, I was losing hope that today would ever come.  I cannot remember a winter where I have been so eager to see signs of Spring.  It got cold in mid-November and just never relented until now.  Yet today reminds me that no matter how long winter is, spring will come. 
    I wonder how many of us suffer through other long winters that have nothing to do with the weather.  Those times when things get bleak cold, drab, and we lose hope of life and warmth ever returning.  Let today remind us that spring is always coming.  As bleak as things may look, new life is yet possible.  Do not lose hope, do not ever give up.   Resurrection is more than possible, it is a reality.

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Spring Now

Posted by Doug on Sunday, March 15, 2009 5:12:32 PM
    What a beautiful day!  60 degrees, sunny, and I am able to walk around outside without a jacket.  Oh sure, it is not perfect.  There are no leaves yet, there is not much green, and the ground is a little soft.  I mean, there are things I just can't do yet, because the ground is too soft.  Imagine if I let today go to waste because things are not yet perfect!  While not yet perfect, today is wonderful. 
  Sometimes I think we in the church can start talking too much about how perfect heaven will be someday.  With that perfection in mind, we easily find and complain about every thing that is not perfect today.  I know it is not yet perfect, but there is much to celebrate today.  New life in Christ is so much better than what came before, and offers so many opportunities.  I must not let it go to waste.  
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All Hat, No Cowboy

Posted by Doug on Tuesday, March 10, 2009 3:56:22 PM
  You have heard this phrase before - "All hat and no cowboy."  It is one of those aphorisms that I particularly enjoy.  It is often used to describe someone who talks pretty big, but just can't back it up.  Sometimes in the church, we can be guilty of this phrase. 
   Sometimes we talk a big game.  We tell stories of Moses, Gideon, Elijah, Peter or Paul and tell our people that we can or should be just like them.  Big stories, big dreams and big promises.  Here is the trouble.  Most of us don't live in the land of big dreams, we live in the day to day world filled with bills, challenges, kids, and economic fear.   As big of a dream that we may have, God lives in our world with us.  patience with a spouse, extra love for a challenging child, and kindness to a neighbor or co-corker.  If we have the biggest of dreams, yet do not show these traits to those closest to us, we are "all hat and no cowboy." 
   I live in a world filled with big plans.  All of the big plans in the world have not changed my life much.  The real difference has been made by all of those average people, living average lives, except they demonstrated to me an extraordinary God living in them. 

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A Good Day

Posted by Doug on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 11:45:46 PM
  I loved Sunday morning.  It had everything I love.  People seemingly glad to see one another.  Faces of people I had never met.  And kids participating in the life of the church.  There are some in the world who might say that they prefer highly accomplished singers - not me.  Sure I love a professional singer, but there is something about the purity of our children singing and playing.  There was one other thing I really loved, when Danny baptized his two sons.  This was a striking visible symbol of what should be important to us - handing down the faith to the next generation.  The church is always one generation away from ceasing to exist.  Seeing a dad baptize his two children fills me with hope, and inspiration.  There is a generation to reach, are we ready?
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New Challenges

Posted by Doug on Wednesday, February 04, 2009 12:24:06 AM
   Every so often, I like a new challenge.  Some people like a basic routine - they find comfort in the familiar.  There is nothing wrong with this, everyone is different.  I am just not like this.  I like goals and new experiences.  I am ready for a new challenge now.  I want to be a part of a growing, vibrant church.  I want to reach out into our community.  I hope to see lives changed.  I hope many others will enjoy a new challenge as well.  Are you ready?
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Just To Be Clear

Posted by Doug on Monday, January 26, 2009 6:52:06 PM
  Let me add one thing to the sermon from yesterday, January 25th.  I think it is possible to misunderstand my sermon from yesterday, and I should have been more clear.  I was not attacking the idea of people being able to worship emotionally.  Since we are emotional people, I hope that our worship, and our Christian walk engages our emotions.  Yet it seems that at times the church has over-emphasized emotions.  Unless we are happy, then something must be wrong with us spiritually.  This is what I was addressing.  Our foundation is not an emotional feeling.  Sometimes the emotion will be there, but in those times when it is not, we must be connected to something solid - even in times of doubt and sadness.  My foundation is in what Christ did in my behalf. 
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A Historic Day

Posted by Doug on Wednesday, January 21, 2009 12:20:50 AM
   What an interesting day!  I am always thankful for my country on the day of a new president.  In the US power changes with a trumpet fanfare and  handshake.  Throughout most of history, power changes only with the head of the former leader on a bloody pike.  I was also struck by the visual imagery of this changeover.  Maybe we really can say that anyone can be president, and that your skin color does not matter.  For this, I am thankful. 
   Now we enter into a new period.  My prayers are with the new president.  Whether I voted for him or not does not matter, for my future, and my kids future is bound together with President Obama.  And I must admit that my life, and my country are many times more important than my political identity.  So I wish him well.  I will recognize the good, and I will call out the mistakes.  And I will not seek to destroy him from day one, as many did with our former president.  May God truly bless the United States.

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