Category: First Steps

Lately, I’ve spent a great deal of time reflecting on the aging process. Getting older can be those Golden Years where people relish the fruits of their labor, especially with those they love. Though I’m not there personally, I look forward to that aspect of life. However, there is a different side of the aging process that is less than golden, for it can be dark. With the loss of control and autonomy, things can be challenging mentally and physically.  I realize “control” is somewhat of an illusion, but the aging process crashes our perceptions in sudden ways that force one to confront realities that were kept at arm’s length for so long.   Either through a firsthand experience or watching from the first row, the aging process can be daunting. For those that watch another journey down this path, there is a real sense of helplessness. It is painful to see people that were stalwarts, captains, and anchors for many years, now recess from center stage to the background. They still can be seen by the audience because of their respective wakes, for they have earned the respect of others for years, but as they move to the background, it becomes apparent that change has occurred. Now, the frailty of life becomes the focus of those watching.    As I watch many go through this process, I find myself oscillating between grief and gratitude. The realization that one’s course has permanently changed and now faces a distant horizon that is not as far as it was before, leaves the pain and sadness of grief. This is my first thought. Thankfully, the next is one of gratitude. Just as I think of what is coming, I also think of all that has happened which fills my heart with gratitude.   The Bible speaks of one that finishes his or her course in faith and now rests from their labors. On one level, grief. I know the course is coming to an end. With the next breath, gratitude in what lies ahead—rest.  In all of this, I’m humbled by God’s provisions, and his care for all that has been and for what will be.     This Week’s Readings: *Monday – Colossians 1 *Tuesday – Colossians 2 *Wednesday- Colossians 3 *Thursday – Colossians 4 *Friday- 1 Timothy 1 Prayer Requests: *Children’s safety and anxiety as the new school year starts up. *Heal those who are sick and protect those who are not. *Comfort those who are grieving and in distress. *Wisdom for our leaders as they navigate through uncertain times. *Guidance for those seeking to find their way. *Continued Growth Inside and Outside the Walls of St. Paul UMC.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6

I’ve been in ministry for over 25 years.  I’ve watched God move in some incredible ways over the decades. Sometimes God breaks into a person’s life with signs and wonders causing a 180-degree change. Sometimes, it is a slow steady change where one is introduced to the gospel from an early age, and it is all that person ever knows. Although I’m delighted whenever and wherever God breaks in, I think I prefer the latter work of God to the former. I witnessed this through the ministry of a staff member of the church I serve. Mrs. Grace Bailey has served the St. Paul community longer than I’ve been in ministry. In various ways and through different staff positions, she has taught, cared for, loved, and ministered to children. Because of her longevity, she now has the pleasure of doing the same thing to the second generation of children. Those very same children that she took to camp, taught in Sunday school, and served in mission projects now have children of their own. It is fascinating to watch all of this. Where one generation was influenced by the gospel little by little, growing in the maturation of faith, now they are doing it with the next generation. I think this is the preferred way of faith. Granted I’m delighted for those Pauline conversations, but this is better.   As I think of Grace’s ministry, I’m mindful of Paul’s words to Timothy:   I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also (2 Timothy 1:5). The work of a Gospel Sower (meaning anyone who is a follower of Christ) is a long-haul endeavor.  It is never a one-and-done, but a way of life that is modeled for all to see. Be a Gospel Sower!       This Week’s Readings: *Monday – Ephesians 6 *Tuesday – Philippians 1 *Wednesday- Philippians 2 *Thursday – Philippians 3 *Friday- Philippians 4 Prayer Requests: *Children’s safety as summer activities come to an end and the new school year approaches.  *An immediate end to the crisis in Ukraine. *Heal those who are sick and protect those who are not. *Comfort those who are grieving and in distress. *Wisdom for our leaders as they navigate through uncertain times. *Guidance for those seeking to find their way. *Continued Growth Inside and Outside the Walls of St. Paul UMC.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot” (Matthew 5:13).   Salt in the ancient world was incredibly valuable. The ability to drill underground and trucks to haul salt from one place to another didn’t exist.  In Jesus’ day, salt was hard to come by and not transportable in large quantities.  However, as it is today, salt was a preservative and a flavoring agent. Part of a Roman soldier’s pay was in salt because it was used for hydration and as an antiseptic, two things a soldier desperately needed on a battlefield.  The word salary stems from the Latin word for salt.    In Jesus’ day, every person knew the value of salt. Perhaps it is for that reason Jesus compared his followers to the preservative-favoring agent. But how can salt stop being salt? For Jesus, he wasn’t referring to molecule change of a compound, but contamination where other substances overpower the original. When that happens, sodium chloride loses its ability to be sodium chloride because other substances pollute it. Then, it is useless. It is neither good for food nor soil. Just chuck it out!   It is interesting that Jesus gave this imperative after The Beatitudes (Matt 5:3-10) meaning that Christ’s followers preserve and season the culture through influence. By living a lifestyle that illustrates the qualities of the Beatitudes: Humility, Mournful, Meek, Righteous Desire, Merciful, Purity, and Peace Seekers. When one lives this style of life, they are salt to those around them.      This Week’s Readings: *Monday – Ephesians 1 *Tuesday – Ephesians 2 *Wednesday- Ephesians 3 *Thursday – Ephesians 4 *Friday- Ephesians 5 Prayer Requests: *Children’s safety as summer activities come to an end and the new school year approaches.  *An immediate end to the crisis in Ukraine. *Heal those who are sick and protect those who are not. *Comfort those who are grieving and in distress. *Wisdom for our leaders as they navigate through uncertain times. *Guidance for those seeking to find their way. *Continued Growth Inside and Outside the Walls of St. Paul UMC.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6

Cooking shows are a favorite of mine to watch. Over the past 2 ½ years, this has become a hobby because they give me ideas that feed my passion for cooking.  However, there is one part of the meal that I’ve yet to undertake…baking bread.  My daughter is considerably better at baking than me, so I stay out of the kitchen when she is baking.  However, we do share a common interest in one certain baking show, The Great British Baking Show.    On the show, if you’ve never seen it, several contestants bake different items in hopes of making it to the next week.  Each week, the contestant with the lowest marks is voted off by the two expert judges.  One week that many of the contestants dread is Bread Week.  Inevitability, during that week, one of the contestants will give the formula for most bread:  water + flour + time = leavened bread.  However, one of the challenges will be an unleavened type of bread which is more difficult for them.   For an Old Testament fan, unleavened bread should tickle the ear for Israel-baked unleavened bread for the Passover.  The classic formula of water + flour + time was disrupted because of the hastily exit out of Egypt.  For centuries, many Jews rid their homes of all possible leavened flour in preparation for Passover.  Any leaven already present in old flour would ruin the significance of the weekly remembrance.    In the New Testament, Jesus warned his audience to beware of the yeast of the religious leaders.  Jesus’ words focused not on an outside contaminant but the same leaven that was in the leaders was already in his audience.  The real problem wasn’t the outside enemy but what was already present in the person.  The judgmental and prideful nature of the religious leaders existed in the lives of the people waiting to rise to the top.    When we hate what another person does only to find that we do the same thing towards that person, we are guilty of the same yeast.  When we judge others by the same measure that we criticize another judger, we are guilty of the same yeast.  Just as one might spring clean the house to rid the house of anything that might ruin the whole lot, a follower of Christ must search the heart so that what is left after the spiritual purge is something pure.  This Week’s Readings: *Monday – Romans 12 *Tuesday – Romans 13 *Wednesday- Romans 14 *Thursday -Romans 15 *Friday- Romans 16 Prayer Requests: *Children’s safety as they participate in summer activities.  *An immediate end to the crisis in Ukraine. *Heal those who are sick and protect those who are not. *Comfort those who are grieving and in distress. *Wisdom for our leaders as they navigate through uncertain times. *Guidance for those seeking to find their way. *Continued Growth Inside and Outside the Walls of St. Paul UMC.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6

My older brother loves figs. Me, not so much; however, I have grown to appreciate them though I’m not sure I will ever grow to his level of affection or be a fig aficionado. I think it has to do with the texture of figs that hold me back. Regardless, in the ancient world, figs were a delicacy.    Then and now, figs are the fruit of a giant tree. In John’s Gospel, Nathanael enjoyed the shade of the fig tree when he learned of Jesus. In Luke’s Gospel, Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Jesus. Among religious Jews, sitting under a fig tree symbolizes the study of scripture. For just as the fig slowly ripens on the tree, the scriptures ripen with enlightenment to those who study.    What I have learned about figs is that a tree will have more than one harvest each year. Sometimes a tree can have three different harvests because the figs ripen not all at once like an apple tree. With figs, the ones closest to the trunk ripen first. Then the ones in the middle of the branch and finally the ones on the tip of the branch.  Because there isn’t a blossoming flower associated with the fruit, one can easily miss when a fig is ripe and ready to harvest.    Thinking of figs, I’m mindful of two important life lessons: 1. Not everyone ripens at the same time. When dealing with people it is important to remember that our timeline might not be their timeline. Though we might long for something to happen sooner than later, we can’t control another’s development. Therefore, trust in God is crucial. We trust that God is continually working to bring about a harvest. God is the final change agent. 2. If one is not looking for the fruit, they will miss it. God is working in the world. We want to patiently participate. As led by him, directed by him, and prompted by him, we work with his Holy Spirit to bring about transformation. Just as it is crucial to trust God’s work, it is crucial to be in a continual state of discernment so that we can see what God sees. With his sight, we can see the fruit ripen and act accordingly.  This Week’s Readings: *Monday – Romans 7 *Tuesday – Romans 8 *Wednesday- Romans 9 *Thursday -Romans 10 *Friday- Romans 11 Prayer Requests: *Children’s safety as they participate in summer activities.  *An immediate end to the crisis in Ukraine. *Heal those who are sick and protect those who are not. *Comfort those who are grieving and in distress. *Wisdom for our leaders as they navigate through uncertain times. *Guidance for those seeking to find their way. *Continued Growth Inside and Outside the Walls of St. Paul UMC.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6

Today is Independence Day—Happy Fourth of July!  As you celebrate this day with fireworks, cookouts, outside activities around a pool, a lake, or a beach, I hope you will spend some time in reflection.  I hope you will pause or break from the day’s activities to take it all in and ponder.   Ponder these things: 1.      Freedom is a gift.  It is easy to forget the sacrifice given for what we assume or take for granted. 2.     How I use my freedom is important.  Though we might have freedom, it is best used to benefit others. 3.     Expressed gratitude multiplies.  When we express our gratitude, it builds people up.  It empowers and creates an environment full of joy and unity.      I hope you have a wonderful day filled with family, friends, and fun.  At the same time, ponder what you have been given.  Contemplate the wonders of God and his gift of grace to you and others.  This Week’s Readings: *Monday – Romans 2 *Tuesday – Romans 3 *Wednesday- Romans 4 *Thursday -Romans 5 *Friday- Romans 6 Prayer Requests: *Children’s safety as they participate in summer activities.  *An immediate end to the crisis in Ukraine. *Heal those who are sick and protect those who are not. *Comfort those who are grieving and in distress. *Wisdom for our leaders as they navigate through uncertain times. *Guidance for those seeking to find their way. *Continued Growth Inside and Outside the Walls of St. Paul UMC.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6