Goodbye 2023

 December 31, 2023

Other than a few songs I’ve written over the years, I’d be exaggerating if I said I’ve had more than one or two original ideas in my entire life. I’m pretty good at adapting great ideas I’ve heard from others, but overall, originality is not my strong suit. So, when I’m writing at the tail end of the year, it’s probably nothing you haven’t already read. You’ve been warned, so if you continue reading, it’s your own fault.

2023 has been a learning year for me. It’s odd, really—I feel that I’ve learned more about Christ since retirement than in all the years I was actively preaching. Ten years ago, the first major breakthrough for me came when God asked me where my joy had gone, and told me to begin focusing on that which is positive and uplifting in life. To my surprise, it was harder than I had thought. It felt like I was somehow neglecting my duty to point out where people were wrong in their thinking or beliefs. What a silly notion! My negativity wasn’t helping anyone, especially me.  Instead, God instructed me to focus on gratitude, no matter what. No more negativity, which is really hard when you think of the ordinary day to day conversations we have, most of which center on complaints or criticism of what we see wrong in life.

So I made the change, and it changed me! In a mere year’s time, the cloud of melancholy that had hung over my head for as long as I can remember had vanished. But that was ten years ago! Have I learned anything since? Well, God in his mercy was giving me time to assimilate that lesson, and I needed those ten years to really let gratitude seep into my soul. 

But this year, God has been turning up the heat. He has been making me aware (often through the agency of my wife) of the amount of time I spend on social media. It’s nothing bad, but little of it brings me closer to Christ. I knew all this, but until last June, wasn’t really giving it the attention it needed. All that changed when in June, my phone, iPad, hearing aids, cash, and teaching notes were stolen while on a mission trip. For an entire week, I was without any social media. I was surprised at how often when I had a few minutes down time, I reached into my pocket for my phone…the phone that was no longer there. One week, cold turkey, God got my attention. I replaced all the devices, and have really struggled to keep control over them, not always successfully, I might add. 

The Scripture that God used to convict me of all this was John 15:3 where Jesus says, “Abide in me.” My abode is my home, where I want to be when I don’t have to be somewhere else. Jesus is saying, “I want to be your home, where your mind lands when it doesn’t have to be anywhere else. My phone had become my abode, and it didn’t satisfy. Jesus does.

More recently, God brought my attention to 1 Kings 17:1, where Elijah describes himself as one who “stands before God.” I got to thinking that it’s the servants who stand, listening for the command or desire of the master of the house. Think of Downton Abbey. The servants stand against the wall waiting for a nod or word from the lord and guests of the manor. To stand before the Lord is to say, “I am your servant, waiting for your command.” That’s a different approach to prayer than we often have.

More recently, John’s account of Mary and himself standing at the cross has added depth to this concept. The cross is where no one really wants to be, where our own plans for life die, and where we care for one another. That’s what was going on in 19:25-27. 

The last lesson of 2023 comes from Ezra 7:10 where we are told that Ezra prepared his heart to seek the Lord. I’ve been too often guilty of trying to saunter into God’s presence without any heart preparation. This is like going into a concert without rehearsing, or trying to eat a meal that hasn’t been prepared. God has been pressing me to prepare my heart by self-examination, asking myself, “Where are you right now? What do you need from God? What’s going on in your life?” When I do this BEFORE reading Scripture, I am more ready to hear what God wants to say to me right now. 

So, for 2024, I will continue to work on being thankful in all situations, eliminating negativity and criticism from my diet, making Jesus my mind’s default instead of my phone, standing in his presence ready to listen and serve, and lastly, to take care to prepare my heart to seek God. If I can imperfectly accomplish even a fraction of this, 2024 promises to be a good year.

Light

December 30, 2023

1 John 3 tells us that when [Christ] is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Furthermore, He was manifested (the same word as “revealed” above) to take away our sins, and that the Son of God was manifested (again, the same word as “revealed”) that He might destroy the works of the devil.“ —I John 3:2, 5, 8 

The root of the word “reveal” or “manifest” means “to shine,” which makes me wonder what was on John’s mind when he wrote these words. Perhaps when he wrote “When he is revealed (read “shine”), we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is,” he was thinking of Moses, whose face shone when he had been in the presence of the Lord (Exodus 34:29-30). It is by the shining light of Christ himself that we see, that our sins are taken away and the devil’s work destroyed. We know that light has cleansing properties, as 1:7 says, “if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

We know that the devil works in darkness, that he depends on it to hide his true nature and that of his goals. It’s the light of Christ that exposes and destroys his work. When Jesus is revealed to us, ie, when he shines in our hearts, like Moses, we can reflect his glory, experience the delight of having our sins forgiven, and the freedom that comes from having the devil’s work in us destroyed. It’s all a matter of the Light, shining in the darkness.

 

Cards

 December 29, 2023

It’s an image burned into my brain; Linda, sitting up in bed, going through the 4 X 6 cards that she keeps on her bedside stand. I couldn’t begin to count the number of times I’ve seen that same scenario. On each of those cards is someone’s name, with specific concerns for which she is praying. Our children, grandchildren, friends, women from her Bible study group, others who are experiencing trauma, loss, illness, emotional, financial, relational problems. She prays for each one nightly. 

Many of those cards have Scripture verses she is praying for that particular person. Over and over, she reads and prays…in detail. Often she has mentioned that she feels like she’s merely presenting a laundry list of requests to God, but she never quits. 

I have learned much from her praying discipline, and have much yet to learn. I am not nearly as organized in my prayers as she is. My prayers are often like my wood splitting. If I am splitting wood with an axe, my second swing of the axe rarely lands in the same spot as the first. To the left or to the right, eventually the job gets done, but I’ve wasted a lot of energy in wild swings and missed targets. Linda is like an experienced woodsman—she hits the same spot over and over till she reaches her goal. 

I’m glad that when Linda prays, my name is on one of her prayer cards, because I know she’ll hit the mark, and this tough and gnarly soul will eventually pop open so God’s grace can enter in.

Abiding and Obeying

 December 28, 2023

For months now I’ve been intrigued by Jesus’ words in John 15:3 where he commands us to abide in him.” These words aren’t new to me; I’ve read them since my teenage years, but recently, they’ve made me think in ways I haven’t done before. I’ve written before about what it means to “abide.” My abode is where I want to be when I don’t have to be anywhere else. Jesus wants to be where we land in our thoughts and affections when our minds don’t have to be occupied by other things. This has been challenging, especially when it comes to social media. 

Researchers are now saying that social media is as addictive as many drugs; that people experience withdrawals if they are forced to live without their phones, tablets, or laptops. I understand. When my phone and iPad were stolen last June, I often found myself reaching for my phone when there was some down time. I’m working on it, and fortunately, the Holy Spirit isn’t shy about nudging me. Neither is my wife.

This morning as I was reading from one of John’s letters, I came across this: 

”Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.“

—I John 2:3, 5-6 

In short, abiding in Christ means obeying his commandments. But if it means no more than this, we have nothing more, nothing less than legalism whereby we are trying to earn our way into God’s favor instead of believing we already have it because of the death of Jesus Christ for our sins. Abiding in Christ is more than obeying; it is what enables us to obey. I’ve been learning as never before that as I have sought to consciously be aware of God at all times, I am more aware of Jesus’ commands; for starters, love one another, bless those who curse you, give thanks in all things, be holy as he is holy, seek first the kingdom of God. 

I wish I had learned these lessons earlier in my life, but am glad God doesn’t discriminate due to age. He’s not done with me yet. Or with you.

Farther Along

December 27, 2023

I have to admit I am somewhat surprised. About six months ago, God began hammering on me  concerning what it means to abide in Christ (John 15:3). I’ve been giving this considerable attention ever since, but it has proven harder than I imagined, I suspect because it runs deeper than I thought. 

We modern Americans have been raised to believe that people are basically good and that with proper education and time, we will continue to better ourselves. This of course, is in direct contradiction with the largely Puritan ethic around which this nation was founded. That ethic, based on the Christian doctrine of Original Sin, posited that human beings are inherently flawed and in need of divine intervention lest we descend irretrievably into prideful, hedonistic self-serving but ultimately destructive behavior. We have largely abandoned such thinking and expect to steadily improve without much effort on our part.

Even Christians such as myself easily drift into such erroneous thinking, thus my surprise at how difficult it has proven to be to live continually, consciously, and deliberately in an unbroken awareness of Christ in my daily life. I shouldn’t be surprised. St. Paul tells us, 

”The desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” —Galatians 5:17

In the previous verse of Galatians, Paul shows us how it is possible to overcome the tendency towards sin which we all have. He says, 

“I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” To me, the operative word is “walk.” It implies a process to our salvation, a steady, often somewhat slow, and at times irregular affair. I wish I were progressing more steadily, and faster, but at least I’m aware of the magnitude of my own sin, and with that, I’m becoming more aware of the magnitude of my salvation. 

I’m walking, step by step. I wish I were farther along than I am, but as the old saying goes, I’m farther along than yesterday, but not as far as tomorrow. I expect to reach my goal one day. Until then, I’ll just keep walking.

 

Getting Ready

 December 26, 2023

Jesus told his followers to “seek first the kingdom of God.” It’s an admirable sentiment and goal, but over the years, I’ve learned that it’s much easier to talk about doing so than actually doing so. It’s the word “first” that gets me. At morning light, I’m not usually thinking about Jesus first. I’m wishing for that extra few winks, wishing old Emma the dog hadn’t woke me up at 4:00 because she needed to go outside. I’ve been struggling against the temptation to check my emails or responses to what I’ve written for FB. I’m so easily distracted by almost anything that I can’t claim to be seeking God first. Maybe second or third, but not first.

Lately, I’ve been challenged by Scripture. That happens frequently, but this has been different. A few years ago, God challenged me to give thanks in every situation. Actually, he commanded it in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. It was a big step for this naturally melancholic person, and doing so literally changed my life. More recently, it was 1 Kings 17:1 where it tells us Elijah identified himself as one who “stands before the Lord.” This was echoed by Jesus’ words in John 15:3 where he commands us to “abide in Me.” All of these Bible verses God used to challenge what I had come to accept as ordinary Christian living. What these texts showed me was that I was living a substandard life. 

I got to work, and most recently, it was Ezra’s commitment to “prepare his heart to seek [God]” that cut through my defenses. Oh yes, I have plenty of defenses against the onslaught of God’s Word. I can generate excuses along with the best of them, but God doesn’t let me get away with it for long. 

Remember what I said in the first paragraph? If anything other than God occupies my mind first thing in the morning, how can I say I am seeking him first? I couldn’t. So I’ve been working on that, offering a prayer even before I open my eyes, or when I wake up in the middle of the night, as men my age often do. 

Our house is mostly back to normal, but for weeks leading up to yesterday, Linda has been constantly occupied with preparing for Christmas, baking, decorating, gathering the ingredients for the various offerings that weighed down the dining room table yesterday. Preparation was seldom, if ever, out of her mind. That’s what I want in my walk with Jesus. It’s called preparing the heart, making sure I am ready for him at all times, because he could come at any time. I’m not there yet, but each day, I’m getting closer. That’s the way it should be, the way it will be, by the grace of our Lord Jesus.

Christmas

 December 25, 2023

The details will fade soon enough: crowding around the dining room table groaning under the weight of trays of cheese, sausages, shrimp, cookies, and Linda’s breakfast egg braid; the wrapping paper wars, the laughter, and the annual photo shoot of the family. What will not fade are the memories of having all ten of the grandchildren together again, along with others who have become family to us. 

Linda and I give our gifts to the kids and grandkids on Christmas Day. Last night, the kids and grandkids had their gift exchange, but also give theirs to us. The best gifts didn’t come from a store; they came from the hearts of these kids, each of whom wrote a short letter to Linda and me, revealing what has meant the most to them over the years. They wrote of the example of love, faith, and faithfulness we have been to them, of the “Meema/Beepa” nights when they would come over to have her mac & cheese and homemade applesauce before playing “Ghosts in the Graveyard,” whiffle ball, board games, finishing off with one of Linda’s Monk dvds, prayers, and pancakes for breakfast the next morning.

None of what we have been doing is out of the ordinary. There were no expensive vacations, no fancy dinners out; just loving on and investing our time and hearts in these kids from the time they were babies. Babies no more, they tower over us in stature, but we kneel at the foot of the cross together, and to read of their desire to have a marriage like ours is a treasure money couldn’t possibly buy. It’s not always been easy; we’ve passed on things we might like to have done, closed the book on hobbies and travel (not much of a sacrifice for Linda) so we could invest in moments that were more fleeting than we knew, but which produced relationships deeper and more lasting than we could have imagined. 

The house is put back in order, wrapping paper ready for garbage day; it’s quiet here in our little corner of the world. Christmas Day is drawing to a close. It’s been a good one for us. Not everyone can say this, so we offer our prayers to the Father that the peace we have to be the peace others will come to know by coming to Christ and letting him rule in their hearts.

Which Lens?

December 24, 2023

Christmas Eve—the last day of Advent. The wait is almost over, the beginning of the fulfillment is nearly here. This morning as we worshipped, Nate paused to talk briefly about how waiting can sabotage what God wants to do in our lives. No, he didn’t actually express it that way, but…well, allow me to tell the story. 

Zechariah the priest and his wife Elizabeth were old. He had served God faithfully for many years, but there was one problem—they were childless. In a culture that values children and family as did theirs, childlessness was seen as a curse, a sign of God’s displeasure. This was their lot, in spite of his long faithful service. Lord knows, they tried; they did their part, but year after year went by, and now they were old.

One day while attending to his priestly duties, an angel appeared to him telling him that his wife would have a son, and they were to name him John. Zachariah couldn’t believe his ears! Literally. The angel told him that because of his unbelief, he wouldn’t be able to speak until the child was born. Can you imagine? As Elizabeth’s body began to change and fill out, when it became obvious that she was pregnant, Zachariah couldn’t utter a word, couldn’t tell anyone, couldn’t convey his joy. 

When Elizabeth was six months along, the same angel visited a young virgin girl, telling her she too, would have a son, and he was to be named Jesus. She was dumbfounded by the news, and like Zachariah, questioned the angel, but with a difference. Zachariah questioned the ability of God to do what the angel promised. Mary only questioned the means; after all, she was a virgin.

The difference between the two cannot be overstated. Zachariah saw God’s Word through the lens of his past experience. Mary saw her experience through the lens of God’s Word. Whenever we gauge or measure what God can do by what we’ve experienced, we are limiting the power of his Word in us. Far better to measure our experience by God’s Word, allowing it to shape, motivate, and change us, carrying us into a future limited only by his promises, and not by our experiences and unbelief.

2024 is almost upon us. It will bring challenges we cannot foresee. It will also bring the promises of God that are far beyond our ability to ask or imagine. It is ours to dismiss, or to believe, but we must choose. Choose faith…and life! Choose Jesus!

 

Follow Your Heart

 December 23, 2023

“Follow your heart” is bad advice. We often hear it at high school graduation ceremonies or at teenage birthday parties, but no matter the good sentiments, it’s still bad advice. The Bible tells us that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Obviously, I can’t speak for everyone else, but I can say without question that trusting my heart to lead me in the right direction would be a huge mistake! Almost without exception, when I’ve done that, it has ended in disaster. 

“What about love,” you ask? Linda still laughs at how I told her when we were dating that I studied her like a book. She liked my eyes; I thought about the kind of person I would want to raise my children. Sure, the heart was part of it all; I’m not a complete nincompoop. But I used my head when I chose the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I’m glad I did; I’ve seen too many marital train wrecks to trust my heart. My heart is too easily swayed by my greed or lust or compassion. Either I will be led astray by the things that catch my eye, or the charlatan who has a good sob story. 

Christmas Eve is almost upon us. We’ll worship, sing “Silent Night” in the flickering light of candles at midnight. It will be very moving. And it will be tempting to leave it at that, head to home and bed to wake on Christmas morning with all that holy emotion fading with the rising sun before the glitter of wrapping paper, gifts, and dinner. If I fail to guard my heart, fail to bring it into submission to a mind that chooses to follow Christ, my heart will inevitably wander, not necessarily into abject sin, but more likely into the grey wasteland of a watered down, anemic Christianity that has all the earmarks of faith and faithfulness, but without any of its power.

Tonight, I choose with my mind to make my heart bend the knee before the Christ who came to save me not only from my sins, but from myself.

Trials

December 22, 2023

”Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,“

—I Peter 1:3-6 

The text goes on, but what struck me as I read this morning were the words, “you have been grieved by various trials…” Faith in Christ isn’t always a happy happy, joy joy kind of life. This time of year is for many, a time of deep grief. Instead of ease, they see only trouble and strife. Joy  isn’t the same thing as happiness. Happiness, as the word implies, depends on what happens. Joy is independent of what happens. It is internal, while happiness depends on external circumstances. This is why Peter can say, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials.” 

What is the “in this” that causes joy? The hope we have because God sent us his Son who died on a cross for our sins, and was “raised from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, that doesn’t fade away.” He goes on to tell us that what Jesus did was for us, and that though we have trouble in this life, he will keep us through it all. Our salvation isn’t yet complete; it is to be revealed in the last time, which means our future is assured, and it is greater than our trials. This is the promise we celebrate at Christmas. Troubles? Sure, we have them. But we also have the powerful presence of God to keep us through them all.

 

Time Out

December 21, 2023

At our Advent dinner and Bible study tonight, we listened to a presentation on the Christmas story as told in Matthew’s gospel. The speaker reminded us that in the midst of all the uncertainty, Joseph was able to sleep, and that in that sleep, an angel changed his plans. 

The speaker told us that we often need to take a time out. Life gets so fast-paced and hectic that we easily lose control of the game. He gave five reasons for a time out: 1) to give players a rest, 2) to change strategy, 3) to break the momentum of the opposition, 4) to fire up your team, and 5) to draw up a specific play. What is true in basketball is true in life. 

Particularly at this time of year people, especially Christians, get so wound up with extra parties, gatherings, times of worship, shopping, and decorating that we get caught up in a whirlwind of activity that takes over, carrying us, or rather, driving us in a headlong pursuit of something we never quite are able to catch. Instead of God being in control, the appointment calendar rules our lives, often taking us to places we don’t want to be. It’s no secret that this time of year is a major stressor in people’s lives. Often, a time out is in order.

Give yourself a rest; Lord knows you need it. Change your strategy. If what you are doing isn’t bringing you joy, you might want to let it go. Break the momentum. If you’re feeling driven by events, people, and a calendar; if it feels like everything and everyone else is running your life, break the momentum: call a time out. Maybe the season has you worn down, or you’re navigating illness, the death of a loved one, emotional, relational, or financial insecurity. Time out with Jesus might be just what you need to “get back in the game.” It’s possible that the pressures of the season are overwhelming all your defenses. A time out can give you breathing space to do something different, even if that something is to do nothing at all.

When God created the world, he rested after six days of work. He commanded that we do the same, because he knows that everyday life can wear you down. Take a time out with Jesus. Simply rest in his presence, and allow him to renew your spirit so you have room and strength for joy.

 

God’s Hate

 December 20, 2023

”“I have loved you,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’ Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” Says the Lord. “Yet Jacob I have loved; But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness.”

—Malachi 1:2-3 

This is one of those Scripture texts that puzzles many of us. Why would God say he hated Esau, and how was this manifested? The answer is pretty simple, though not well known. 

If you read the history of both Jacob and Esau, there is one glaring difference in how God dealt with them. When Esau made bad choices, both as the individual and as a nation, God didn’t correct him. Instead, he let Esau be Esau. With Jacob however, whenever he sinned or made bad choices, God disciplined him, refusing to allow him to continue to be Jacob the Cheater, and instead shaping him through discipline and correction to become Israel, a Prince.

Many a parent allows their child to grow up without discipline. Lines are crossed, boundaries are violated, but there is no discipline forthcoming. Such children never learn the life lessons they need to succeed. The parents may see their laissez-faire approach as a more gentle, loving way of handling their children, but it is the parents who envision the character they want to inculcate in their children and are willing to endure their children’s anger by inflicting a lesser present pain so as to avoid a greater future pain who truly love. 

The Bible says God chastens those he loves. It may not feel loving at the time, but I can attest to the times God “spanked” me. I didn’t like it at the time, but I am so grateful God loved me enough to hurt me a little so I wouldn’t destroy myself later on.

Nicholas

 December 19, 2023

The Ecumenical Council of Nicea in 325 was convened by the emperor Constantine, the first Roman emperor to espouse Christianity. His purpose was to bring into unity in the newly recognized Church the theological divisions that had been brewing for two centuries as the Christian fathers were trying to understand more clearly the Gospel they confessed. The  Church had long been divided by disagreements on Christology – specifically about the nature of the relationship between the Father and the Son. The issue was the divinity of Jesus. Was he co-equal to the Father as Athanasius believed, or a subordinate and created being as the priest Arius taught?

During the debate which included somewhere around 300 bishops, one of the bishops became so agitated that “in the heat of denunciation and fired up with zeal for the Lord, he gave the false-teacher (Arius) a good drubbing on the ears.” That bishop was Nicholas… “Saint” Nicholas…yep…good ol’ Santa Claus. 

Nicholas was noted for his charity, which spawned many traditions about him, including the one that relates how he saved three daughters of a poor man from being sold into slavery by throwing the needed dowry money through a window into stockings hung by the fireplace to dry. It doesn’t take much imagination to see where that story led.

I kind of like this story of him boxing the ears of the heretic Arius. We tend to get overly sentimental at this time of year, so imagining Santa Claus boxing Arius’ ears for the sake of orthodox doctrine is a rather interesting thought. We could do worse than having our bishops and church leaders so passionate for correct Christian teaching that they would be willing to box the ears of some of the false teachers which abound today. I won’t name names, but I can think of a few whose ears I would like to box, but then…I’m not Nicholas, that is, Santa Claus.

Men

 December 18, 2023

This afternoon as a friend and I were talking about following Christ, we agreed that it’s not easy. The world, our own flesh (ie our selfish desires), and the devil himself conspire against us in this endeavor. In addition to worship, Bible study, and prayer, we talked about the significance of having other men in our lives, men who are willing to hold us accountable even as they accept us as we are, warts and all. It got me to thinking about the men in my life.

As I was growing up, my father’s steady calm faithfulness was a big influence on me, as were the faithful service of the men I watched at Westside Baptist Church in Greece, NY. Neither they nor I really realized that I was watching them, but I did, and I took in their work ethic, their service for Christ, their love for their Lord. Ozzie Palmer, Chuck Bassett, Al Orgar, Merle Silver, pastor Ellis, Ted Wightman, Fred Thomas, Sterling Houston, John Helwig, and others come to mind. These names mean little to most who read this, but these men shaped my life as a new believer.

College would bring Warren Woolsey and Harold Kingdon; seminary Paul Hessert, and pastoral ministry a succession of bishops and district superintendents, most notably, Sherman Eckels, Norm Parsons, Vern Bigler, Larry Baird, and most of all, Bob Pascoe. Except for Bob, who kept me in the ministry when I was on the verge of quitting, these men, though influential, weren’t as much of an impact as those I grew up with. Those men in my early years of faith poured into me week after week, often day by day. I saw them as they worked together in the construction of the church building, as well as when they led in times of worship and instruction.

These days, it’s the men in our Monday night Bible study who split and stacked about ten cord of wood for me a couple weeks ago, pastor Joe, who last year came out on a wintry morning to help me with a trailer that had come unhitched from my truck, Ken and Harry who wired our house as we were readying it for moving in, my son who laid out the stairs I couldn’t manage myself. My other son who recently undercoated my truck, my son in law who bails us out of computer mishaps, my pastor friends Roy, Rich, and Jeff who meet for prayer every Wednesday morning, and who stand ready for almost anything I could ask.

The list goes on and on; I have to apologize for those I haven’t named, but there are so many…all with one common bond: we are brothers in Jesus Christ. 

I was telling a friend recently about my ministry strategy; it’s simple: I had three foci—Men, Money, and Missions. I know it sounds sexist; I deeply appreciate the ministry of the women in church; much would go lacking without their steady, often unseen and unappreciated work, and countless churches would have already closed but for their faithful ministry. But I am firmly convinced that without a strong circle of men, the work of Christ cannot thrive. Yesterday as I looked out over the congregation, I saw dozens of men with their wives and children. The sanctuary was full, and this was only one of three services on two campuses of Park church. Tonight, I am grateful for the countless men who built into me, and for the privilege I have been given of doing the same for others.