upward & inward

…Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:12b-13 Merry Christmas! What do you want to accomplish this Christmas? Give the right gifts? Get the right gifts?   Just make it through the season? Here’s an idea! Let’s just be different this year.     How different?   Consider the quality of… Compassion.   Let’s open our eyes and ears to those struggling among us.   By helping in whatever way we can, we show… Kindness: putting others’ needs ahead of our own. Whether in listening more closely, smiling more often, or providing warm meals, kindness requires us to seek… Humility. There is so much of “self” in the world, “self-serve” has a whole new meaning! And, when we’re humble, we show… Gentleness: “Power under control”. Speaking words that lift up, not tear down. Taking actions carefully

Merry Christmas! For those uncomfortable with that greeting, maybe you prefer...   Happy Holidays! Either one works for me.   Why? When someone says “Merry Christmas”, it’s as if she says,   “I'm celebrating the birth of Christ! I hope that your celebration is merry!” When someone says “Happy Holidays”, it’s as if he says, “I'm celebrating the Holidays! I hope that your celebration is happy!” Essentially, I believe these phrases are one and the same. Why? What’s a holiday? It is a Holy-Day .   A Holy-Day is a Day set apart for Divine (that is, Godly) purposes. In these Holy Days, we celebrate the first arrival of the Christ – the Son of God. The plans for this arrival began at the very beginning.   After creating the world, God simply wanted to have a relationship with His creation: with you and with me – with the whole world.   He s till does. And although that plan was interrupted by the rebellion of those created in His image, Go

Today is the day which has been set aside by our nation to give thanks.  Organized declarations of thanksgiving have been a part of cultures for thousands of years.  So, we gather to give thanks to God, not to celebrate a simple pilgrim meal that happened long ago.  Although not the first leader to do so, Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president, made a proclamation of Thanksgiving in 1863.  After describing the "bounties" of harvest, new frontiers, and natural resources of a country still struggling in a time of war, the President goes on to say, [These] are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojou

Across from me hangs a uniform coat wore by my grandfather in World War I and now displayed in my office. It's hard to believe that it has been 100 years since the beginning of "The Great War" as it was called then.  More difficult to comprehend is the incredible loss of life that was the result for both sides of the conflict . Dead:                  8,556,315 Wounded:         21,219,452      POW/Missing:     7,750,945 Even after entering the conflict toward its end, the US lost over 120,000 lives, wounding nearly twice that number. Why do I bring this up?  In the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month in 1918, the Armistice Treaty was finally signed, signaling the cessation of hostilities between the Central Powers (Germany, etc.) and the Allied Powers (France, Russia, Britain, US, etc.).  Soon thereafter, communities, states, and finally the nation began to celebrate November 11th as Armistice Day.  Then, after World War II, this date was changed to V

After a 35 hour trip (from the missionaries' compound to the church parking lot in East Canton), we returned safely from Uganda. Or, did we? Although we Americans typically prefer avoiding risk, no mission trip is without it.  Sure, going to the grocery store includes risk, doesn't it?  But, traveling thousands of miles in the air, and bumping up and down along nearly a thousand miles of really bad roads, that's pretty risky. Serving in a country that has less than adequate water treatment and availability, that's pretty risky. Visiting the homes of real people with HIV, that's pretty risky. Walking around the slums of Kampala, past young men high from opium as they make make fun of the 'mzungus' (white people), that felt pretty risky. However, do you realize the risk we didn't take?  We did not risk Ebola. There is no Ebola outbreak in Uganda. The outbreak that is ravaging West Africa is thousands of miles away from our friends in Uganda

( Continued from Part 1 ) So, we know we are supposed to go to the ends of the earth and for us, this means, Uganda. But, why go now? Why take the risk? This trip has been planned for nearly a year.  And, we believe, that God knew ahead of time that there would be this uncertainty around us - Ebola, ISIS, and so on.  Yet, His call did not waver.  In fact, many if not all of the team members can relate consistent experiences which confirmed God's direction and provision to go. Still, given all that is swirling around us, is it unwise? Let's consider the facts.   The media seem to be in full speculation mode.  This was heavy before we left (Oct. 3) and probably worse now. The facts, as I understand them, are: a) It is NOT easy to get Ebola. To contract it, one must have contact with bodily fluids - blood, stool, saliva, vomit, and urine.  It was never in our mission plan to have contact with such fluids and, given the circumstances, we have been extra cautious re

Our recent sojourn in this beautiful land is almost complete.  We have traveled quite a bit - probably over 700 miles across the Northern portion of Uganda - through Lira, Gulu, Moyo, Arua, Nebbi, Murchison Falls Park, and back again to Kampala.  We have witnessed the beauty in what Churchill coined as "The Pearl of Africa."  The team has been tried, tested, blessed, and comforted as they encouraged and comforted others. Many asked before we went and may ask again upon our return: why go to Uganda?  With all the craziness of viral outbreaks, terrorism, and so much more, why take the risk?  Let's begin with a command.  Just before Christ ascended to heaven, He gave this command to His disciples: "And you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8) For the modern-day church, I believe that this command applies to us as we look who

Today, some of us visited the TAPP offices in Murchison Bay (another section of Kampala) to watch how they create their jewelry.  TAPP teaches their clients a trade (like fashioning jewelry) so that they can earn a living and provide for their family.  Many times, an HIV+ person will lose his or her job when they've been diagnosed with HIV.  Turning to The Lord through TAPP, they receive encouragement and training, and above all, hope. Some of us also visited the TAPP clients in the slums of Kampala, called Kasugo. These clients are lead by the TAPP Branch Manager, a lovely young lady named Generous (my bride Sherry is pictured  with her above).  The abject poverty we witnessed today was a strong contrast to the hope that we saw in the faces (and heard in the voices) of those who have chosen to put their trust in The Lord.  After we visited them, they met us in the small church there and sang, "Jesus is my Savior!" The hope of The Lord has been a very

Yesterday and today, the team had the opportunity to visit Ugandans in their homes. TAPP is Tumaini AIDS Prevention Program and helps HIV+ women and men (mostly women) live positively with this dreaded disease. We visited three of these clients. Their ages were 26 to 30, two had two children, the other had three. One was pregnant with her third. One had a husband, yet he was detained in South Sudan after an accident broke both of his legs. The other two had no husbands.  Each lived in a home that was no greater than a 4'x8' room. Yet each of them warmly welcomed us into their homes, ensuring we had a place to sit. We asked them questions regarding their family, their condition, and of course, their relationship with Jesus Christ. Each had been HIV+ over three years and each had come to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. On behalf of our church, we provided much needed staples like flour, sugar, rice, and soap.  We also provided gifts such as toys, kitchen suppl

Kasubi is a place Sherry and I have been to many, many times.  As a school, it's filled with children (Pre-K through High School) and their teachers.  As the HQ of Church of God, Uganda, there are also the Church of God leaders who also work within the compound. We arrived there a little later than we had planned after enjoying breakfast and sorting the 12 tubs we brought with us. These tubs carried our ministry items. Some of our team visited Jajjas (Grandmas) who care for their grandchildren because the children's parents are either dead or have abandoned the children.  I'll write about this team's visits with the Jajjas in another posting. Knowing we would be meeting some of our sponsored children at the Children of Promise office at Kasubi, we were sure to bring gifts for them. Of the six children we were expecting, we met five of them today and will meet the sixth tomorrow. In times past, I have not met the sponsored children (other than my own) because I was

After nearly 30 hours of travel, we finally made it to Kampala, Uganda. Praise The Lord! Entering Uganda, we were welcomed by a medical team that the government has put in place to check the health of incoming visitors and citizens. We answered a short questionnaire regarding the countries we've visited and our current health condition. A group of nurses reviewed our questionnaire and took our temperatures.  Although it was an additional delay to a very long trip, I'm glad to see the government taking their usual precautions regarding the seriousness of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.  Although the hardest hit countries are over 3000 miles away, Uganda knows how to combat this virus and shows it. Immigration was smooth for everyone except me.  As we enter Uganda, our fingerprints are checked to make sure they match our passports.  Each time I've entered the country, I've had to have them tested repeatedly because the reader failed to read them rightly.  This t

In the London Subway system, the Underground, curved platforms often cause a dangerous gap between the platform and the straight train car. Because of this danger, they use this phrase in print and in the verbal announcement: Mind the Gap! Children in our church also face a gap.  This gap is the one that exists between someone else's faith, like a parent, and the development of his or her own faith. Some children cross the gap with no difficulties.  One day they are holding on to their parents' hands, relying on mom or dad's faith.  The next moment, they believe on their own, independent of mom or dad. We see this illustrated in the story of Jesus, the Samaritan woman, and the people of her village. Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in [Jesus] because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did."   So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.  And because of his words many m

In services Sunday, we heard the story of Joseph who went from...     Favored son to slave, as the brothers sold him,         Slave to favored servant, as Potiphar trusted him,             Favored servant to prisoner, as Potiphar's wife accused him,                 Prisoner to favored prisoner, as the warden empowered him,                     Favored prisoner to Deputy Pharaoh, as Pharaoh listened to him,                         Deputy Pharaoh to Favored Son, as Jacob was reunited with him. When presented with an opportunity to deal out his own justice to his brothers for what they did, Joseph said: "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!"   But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care.   No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" Genesis 39:6-9 Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers, puts his family training into practice and rises to the head of the household of Potiphar, a royal official in Egypt.  Potiphar's wife notices Joseph and wants him for herself.  Joseph is confronted with a decision. There were several responses he could have given, and I group them into three lists: me, others, and God. From the "me" box, Joseph could have pulled out a response that would resonate

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. ( Psalm 1:1-3 ) I have had repeated conversations lately regarding the importance of seeking God's power as He calls us to be His own. In a previous post , I wrote of this importance - and its difficulty.  Since then, I read Pastor John Piper's approach to avoiding the besetting sins that trip us up. He writes here of how this approach helps with our approach to lust.  However, Pastor John's later writing rightly applies this to any thinking that leads us beyond the boundaries of God's moral will for us.  Here is a summary from Pastor Piper: "I go on the attac

Prayer Journal - August 29, 2012 "Effective Meeting tonight with council and the consultant" October 19, 2012 - "Thank You for a complete assessment!" As a transition begins, it is SO helpful to know a few things from the congregation, including: 1) Where do we think we are? 2) Where do we think we're going? As a pastor leaves, especially a long-term pastor, it helps to "look into the mirror" and we sought to accomplish this in two ways.  First, we decided to put a congregational survey in place.  During preparation and delivery, the company we used was thorough and helpful.  The questions covered a wide range of topics but the primary topics about which we were most concerned were:  Evidence of Conflict, Governance, Spiritual vitality, Hospitality, Ministry Readiness, Worship/music, and Morale.  In addition, the assessment offered an opportunity for the congregation to state what their preferences were for the characteristics and strengths o

As we prepared for baptism last Sunday, I had the privilege of talking with folks about how they came to Christ - how they experienced the Good News that only He has to offer us.  What great encouragement!  These stories remind me of how desperately we need Jesus - every day - and how thankful I am for the grace of God. I found helpful a few Scriptures that bear memorization regarding the Good News of Jesus Christ. Here they are: All have sinned Romans 3:23 Isaiah 53:6 Sin has a penalty Romans 6:23 Hebrews 9:27 Christ paid the penalty Romans 5:8 1 Peter 3:18 Must receive Christ John 1:12-13 Revelation 3:20 Salvation not by works Ephesians 2:8-9 Titus 3:5 Assurance of Salvation 1 John 5:13 John 5:24 Take some time today and prayerfully meditate on what God offers a dying world. And, if you haven't received Christ in your life, today could be the day! (NOTE: One of the blessings (and challenges) I've had

Still struggling with an inner ear issue, I have experienced vertigo three times in the last 6 months. The most recent, just this past Sunday.  Previously, others tried to describe this phenomena to me, but I really didn't understand until I went through it myself.  I've come to the conclusion that I wouldn't wish it on anyone. When I experience vertigo, n o matter how hard I try to "push through", I can't stop the room - the world - from spinning. Up is down, down is up, and all sides turn into themselves.   Someone else has to help me.   Depending on how bad it is, I need help to stand or to walk.  I typically require medical attention.  Simply put, I can't solve the problem on my own. Spiritual Vertigo is something similar.  It can describe a situation when what we formerly believed, and even experienced, is challenged somehow and we're left wondering, "what exactly do we believe?" One moment we're sure of what we believe,

Since the beginning, the church has struggled with conformity. How are we supposed to behave as Christ-followers? Merriam-Webster defines conformity as: behavior that is the same as the behavior of most other people in a society, group, etc. Conformity can naturally occur in the larger society and smaller groups, like a church.  And, I suppose we can expect that a group of people who claim an affinity for one another (or to a common Person) would think, speak, and act in a similar fashion.  The challenge comes with the motivation (or cause) of the behavior. Is our motivation really to be like each other? To fit in? In societal groups (churches, schools, clubs, sports teams, even gangs), there are expectations of behavior.  (Note: I'm not a sociologist, just an observer!) Just ask a high school student and she will tell you that expectations from fellow students are strong and real.  For a church, these expectations can quickly devolve into " externalism " so that the

Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" John 1:38a One of the most important questions we can answer as Christ's disciples is the one He asked His first disciples, "What do you want?" Have you ever thought about the question? Have you ever thought about your answer? Responding spiritually, we might answer that we want heaven. Or, to bear spiritual fruit like peace, joy, or self-control! But if pressed, we might answer that we just want our kids to get along or for the ability to have children.  Or, for our bosses to lighten up a little and extend some grace - maybe even a job that pays the bills.  Or, for a loving wife or husband. Or, to have a friend that will love us no matter what.  Or, for a loved one to be healed from cancer or another debilitating (or fatal) disease. All of these answers, if honest, are real and Christ knows them already for He knows our hearts . So, how did His disciples answer the questio

Prayer Journal, May 23, 2012 - "Clear thoughts - no self-ambition. Only God-ambition". Early on in the transition, I realized that God was working dramatically, not only in our congregation, but also in His development of me as a leader.  Much was going to change within the church, staff, and leadership - much had to change! - and many of our former roles would not be the same.  Ever. So, I was prompted to pray that my thoughts reflected an ambition for what God had in store for us and not what we were ambitious to accomplish of and for ourselves. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 Looking back over the graveyard of destroyed churches, I wonder if "selfish ambition" played a part in most, if not all, of the carnage. Starting innocently enough, as passionate church members authentically and lovingly encourage a leader, it is how the leader receives that encouragement wh