Kairos & Ambiguities

Everyday

    I have been thinking about the Last Supper and Holy Communion.  One of the things that captures my imagination when I think about Holy Communion is that shortly after the first celebration, Communion has been celebrated somewhere in the world each and every day.

    I think about all the things that seemed so permanent that have passed away since then and it reminds me about the power of this simple thing done every day for 200 years.

1. Sacrificing to the god Zeus
2. The Roman Empire
3. Ephesus & Constantinople (or for that matter many other cities)
4. The Parthians, Goths, and a variety of others
5. The East India Company & Krupp Industries
6. Monarchy
7. Slavery

   You could probably name many more.  Yet everyday the bread and cup changes the world. Today is no different,  It simply reminds us of the power of the work of Jesus Christ.

Until next time...Grace & Peace

One for the Janitor

    Polly and Robert both got their report cards yesterday and made the honor roll.  Amy and I are very proud of the work that they are doing.

    One of Polly's big projects is in Earth Science.  She is doing a science project and decided to gather bacteria samples from different places in the church.  One of the surprising results for her was how little bacteria was in the restrooms.  She had to modify her conclusions from her hypothesis.

    Where was the most bacteria?  The computer keyboard...I guess that is where all the dirty work is done.

Until next time...Grace & Peace

Preparing for Thursday

    Tonight we have our first practice for the Last Supper play that we do as a church on Thursday.  Pastor John Bullock is in the role of Jesus and I play Simon the Zealot.  Amy says I just wanted that role because I wanted an excuse to buy a sword.  We don't often think of  the disciples of Jesus carrying swords, but a few of them did.  Your really never know when a good sword might come in handy.

    One of the things I am looking forward to this year is that Robert will be playing a role.  I think it will be fun to share this experience together.  I have often thought of Jesus as a youth group leader as I have always imagined the disciples to be younger than portrayed in Leonardo's painting.  Robert doesn't get to carry a sword as he plays the role of James.  I have always thought of James and John as more like soldiers in the field artillery (ten years for me around cannons in the Army), because they didn' t necessarily want to mess around with swords, but went straight to the heavy fire power (Luke 9:54 When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?")

I pray your Holy Week preparations are going well.

Until next time...Grace & Peace

Catata & Palm Sunday

    We are celebrating Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem today.  It is one of my favorite Sundays.  I love to watch the kids parade around the church with their palm branches.

    This morning we are doing our cantata.  It is a great piece that is written very well by Pepper Choplin, Come, Touch the Robe.  I know that many lives will be touched and I am honored to sing with such a good choir.

    May you have a blessed Palm Sunday and a wonderful Holy Week.

Until next time...Grace & Peace

24 Hours Before Holy Week

We are preparing for our 24 hour prayer vigil at the church.  It runs from 5:00 p.m. Friday until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.  We have been gathering prayer requests for the last month and the prayer room is all prepared.  We are ready to go.

This has been a very special time for me and for the church to get ready for Holy Week.  We have security at night and coffee and donuts after the prayer time.  We have captains for each hour who have recruited others to pray with them.  We had about 150 participate last year.

Here are a couple of reasons to have a prayer vigil:

1. Allow time to stop and spend with God
2. Prepare heart for Holy Week
3. Joy of prayer for others in the church and knowing that your requests are being prayed for.
4. The fellowship of kindred minds
5. A refreshed heart.

Many first time participants are amazed that the hour goes by so quickly.  Many veterans sign up for two hours. 

My prayer for you is that your walk with Jesus might be closer and you have a wonderful Holy Week experience.

Until next time...Grace & Peace

Lent & Ashes Coming to an End

    Lent is quickly coming to an end and it will soon be time to take the ashes off the altar. As I have written before I used the money I received from helping a friend David Frantz move away from Pennsylvania and ministry in the United Methodist Church.  As I remember these folks again, I remember that each left for different reasons, but I again give thanks for what they have done for us here in Western Pennsylvania and pray that as they work for the Kingdom in other places and in other positions they may be blessed.

1999    David Frantz

1999    Mary Catherine Haldeman (she received the cloak for my ordination class)

2003    David Lee

2003    Joe Wilcher

2004    Jay Tennies

2004    Niel Leftwich

2004    Clark Kerr

2004    Chris Heckert

2005    Cristen Decious

2005    Gary Shockley

2005    Jack Roble

2005    Randy Roda

2006    Martha Orphe

2006    Vivian Waltz

2006    Douglas Heagy

2006    Rich Nulph

2006    Ron Geisler

2007    Tim Emmett

2007    Jeff Greenway

2008    Paulo de Silva

2008     John Shaver

2008    Maria Baugh Barontini

2008    F. Jayne Verner

2008    Paul Wilson

2008    Lee Moore

2008    Keith Cutshall

May God bless them where ever they are are working and living, they are missed.

Until next time...Grace and Peace

Jet Lag

I am still trying to catch up from last weekend, Ash Wednesday, and a budget meeting.  Last weekend I had the opportunity to go out to California for the GCFA (General Council on Finance and Administration) training.  It was very informative and outlined a lot of the financial challenges that the United Methodist Church will be facing over the next couple of years.

Some of the important topics we covered:

1. Legal Liability Issues
2. Health Care Costs in a Difficult Environment

3. How we will keep our Pension Funding at excellent levels.

4. What is financial health for an annual conference

One of the interesting things I found out is that annual conferences who have cut district superintendent positions haven't saved any money....actually it has cost them more money.  We have experienced that here in Western PA also.

It was wonderful to share the experience with Pat Morris, Eddie Patterson, Barb Port, and John Wilson.

Well say a prayer as we are in the middle of the budget development process for the conference.

Until next time...Grace and Peace

VMI Hockey and a Good Cause

I was reading my new Legion magazine, and saw a picture of a hockey player (older) with a VMI shirt on.  It turns out that a fellow pastor/alum from North Carolina set up a hockey game between the Citadel and Virginia Military Institute. He was Rev. Phil Taylor.

He was looking for a cause to use the money for and selected a scholarship fund to benefit children of active-duty U.S. service members who have given their lives in the global war on terrorism.  The game was a success and raised over $5,700 for the fund.

I always rejoice when people reach out to help others and make a difference in the world.  I am particularly happy when VMI leads the way.  I can't think of a better cause and my heart goes out to those children who are living with out a mother or a father because of their great sacrifice for us.

Say a prayer for them and...

Until next time...Grace and Peace

Heading to Nashville

I am heading off to Nashville today for Finance Committee Meeting of the General Board of Discipleship.  The recent financial events has caused an critical need to restructure the finances of this board.  It will be a difficult task to bring the finances of this board into a stable situation and it can't be done with out some pain.

Already there has been a cut back of staff positions.  I hope we can hold the line here as we have already lost the Small Church staff person (small churches make up a majority of the churches in our denomination).  At the board meeting in September there were pages and pages of General Conference directives to the board and I think many of them will go unfulfilled.

Probably the most critical item on the agenda deals with the Board's planned meeting in 2010 in Germany.  This meeting was planned so that the board would meet with the Global Youth Convocation of Young People.  As the contracts are about ready to be signed for this event my hope is that even if the funds can't be found to have the board present at this event, that we would find the funds to still allow the Division on Ministries with Young People to remain a global presence.

Please keep us in your prayers.

Until next time...Grace and Peace

A New Greek Place

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go back to Brookville.  I was helping Tim McConnville out with a funeral for Phil Lingenfelter.  Phil was a good friend at Brookville E.U.M.

Tim and I were both surprised to see Jerrad and Becky Peterman (who entered the ordained ministry while I was serving Brookville) at the funeral.  Jerrad, Tim and I (Becky went to see her mom)took the opportunity to have lunch together at the new Greek place in Brookville.  It really was a joy to meet together and break bread with friends and co-workers. 

I pray those opportunities may come into  you life and when they do...take advantage.

Until next time...Grace & Peace