Wednesday Worship

As I wrote last week, there comes a point where I feel myself being drained by all the Christmas stuff that is going on. Certain Christmas things can be reenergizing though. Near the top of the list is the music. But not all Christmas music. I find a few specific selections tend to refuel my tank. 

Today's sample is a classic Christmas hymn that can send chills down your spine if a great vocalist is singing it (David Phelps and CeCe Winans are to recent examples). And yet the heart of this song is worship. Even more specifically, it's a call for people to worship together - corporate worship.

The best version to capture all of that is one I know I've featured here before. Chris Tomlin, from his Christmas album of ten years ago - "Glory in the Highest":

Thursday Thoughts

We are in the throes of the Christmas season it would seem. 

With all of the extra programs and specials and events that churches tend to have around Advent, it can be a tiresome stretch for pastors. My church doesn't have too many extra things going on typically. But even just adding in family plans can pile stress on top of stress.

Pretty much every year there comes a point where I feel myself being drained by it all. Certain Christmas things can be reenergizing though. Near the top of the list is the music. But not all Christmas music. I find a few specific selections tend to refuel my tank. I'll probably feature several over the next week and a half, but here's one I've always enjoyed, Breath of Heaven by Amy Grant. It's a beautiful, simple song entreating the Lord for his grace and presence.

Wednesday Wisdom - Getting Boosted

 

I got my COVID Vaccine booster shot yesterday. And I don't feel good.

Originally I received the Moderna vaccine last March and April. Both times I felt half-sick and sluggish for several hours later but by the next day I was back to normal. Today I still feel some soreness achy-ness but nothing some ibuprofen can't handle. I did a decent 20 minute cardio Pre-Core workout yesterday too - so some of this is undoubtedly due to my body complaining of the exercise after a holiday week of laziness.

What experts have said about what I'm experiencing is that it's pretty normal and that it is my immune system adapting to prep and fight the COVID strain. 

Clearly, I'm pro-vaccine in a time where strangely, our society that has made medical health a political issue. "You can't tell me what I do with my body" scream people who are predominantly anti-abortion. Masks and life-saving medicine are eschewed for personal freedom. I think that is a gravely mistaken position to hold. 

This is a personal choice, but it is not only a personally choice. Even if you don't feel the serious effects of this virus, even if you are healthy and trust in 'natural immunity' - this isn't just about you. This is about the people you can infect who don't have immune systems as strong as yours. This is about the people who contract it from the people you infect who are also a-symptomatic. 

Theologically, this is about "loving your neighbor". I wish I would have understood and communicated this earlier as the pandemic was just settling in. Wearing a mask and getting vaxxed is a way to love others by drastically reducing the chances of getting them sick. Despite what our American mindset has told us, our individual rights are not supreme. We have responsibilities to others - God even calls us to dramatically love others (Matt. 5:43-48, John 13:34-35).

I thought about trying to link to all of the relevant peer-reviewed medical research to supplement my points. I thought about offering you up the clear preponderance of evidence that my above statements are factually true. That information is out there and has been out there for awhile now, and if it hasn't convinced you and this post has triggered you, you have my sympathies.

In my mind, a night of semi-sore sleep and a day-and-a-half of feeling a tad below average is a small price to pay for inoculating myself against this deadly virus and protecting others from contracting it from me. That's what it comes down to. 

Wednesday Wisdom

I don't know about "wisdom" but today I thought I would offer you a peek behind the curtain of what the routine of ministry can be like for a pastor - at least this pastor.

There have been long stretches, "seasons" if I want to use church terminology, where I would reflect on my weekly schedule and wonder if I was spending too much time in books. 

Sermon preparation is a important. Sometimes pastors make it too important, as if a 20-45 minute message is going to completely override the hundreds of hours of other messages our people are consuming during the week. And for that reason this pastor sometimes wonders if my week has been taken up by too much commentary reading and message-preparing. Proclaiming God's Word is a vital task but that wondering is helpful self-evaluation that ensures things are in balance. 

That's how some stretches of my routine can go. Then there are days and weeks like the last few I have been through. A elderly widow needs moved, people call in looking for basic assistance, lunches are planned, and meetings must take place. Sermon prep gets done but it gets done more in the margins while relationships and interpersonal interactions dominate my time. It is during these times I remind myself that pastoring is by definition more shepherding than studying.

Ebbs and flows have marked my almost 9 years now as a full-time pastor of our church. I'm thankful I have had room to use my stronger gifts for the edification of our people. But even more so, I'm grateful to have had the space to grow in areas where I wasn't as polished. Pastoring is a multi-faceted calling and our people have been patient and gracious and appreciative of the learning curve I have been on. 

Now, on to the rest of my day full of sermon prep, ministry lunch meetings, and two other appointments.

Thursday Thoughts

It has been and will be a fun-but-busy month at church. 

For the past two-and-a-half weeks we have been living out our polity, our special church practices that go beyond simply meeting for worship.

Two Sundays ago, we had a baptism. A young man who has been coming to church since he was a hyper-active toddler. It's a privilege to see how God's worked in his heart. You may notice from the picture, we baptize in an unique way - three times forward. It makes it a little more awkward but it is our tradition and we make it work. After this particular event, I remember as I was changing my clothes in a separate room and hearing lots of "church chatter" in the pool room. There's few sweeter sounds than God's people celebrating steps of discipleship.

This past Sunday, we held Communion. The Brethren have long observed not just the traditional "Bread and Cup" but also serve each other in foot-washing and incorporating a Fellowship meal. All done to mirror the last supper Jesus had and to literally obey his words in John 13. 

Then last night we held our annual business meeting. Admittedly it's less worshipful than these previous events, but it doesn't have to be. We adopted a newer, more specific and accurate mission statement to serve as a general guide for what we want to be about as a church. I purposefully tried to connect that with the various reports that were given to show how God's worked through us this past year. 

This busy ministry month isn't over either. Regional Gatherings, leadership meetings, plus we have an annual Halloween Fun Fair we put on for Trick-or-Treaters. 

It would be unwise to pack every month full of activities like these. But it is a good boost as we finish out the fall to celebrate and serve in these various ways.

Wednesday Wisdom

So my wife and I started our family "late" according to convention. We were married 11 years before we welcomed our oldest into this world. Almost exactly two years later, boy #2 came along. 

Both have taught us a lot of lessons. Lessons people talk about plenty but only parents really know. So I realize I'm not breaking new ground here but one parental observation hit me today.

Our youngest is turning into a real unique individual person. 

Astonishing right?

So, he's got ear and eye infections along with being contact-traced at daycare which means our routine is upended and he's hanging out with dad a bunch. 

Being our second, he has more or less been a tag-along as he's grown up. His big brother is more active and naturally advanced meanwhile #2 is just along for the ride. 

Well, as I tried to get some study in and work done from our church nursery today, I suddenly recognized, "this little man is his own dude". He's at a fun stage where his personality is starting to show and he can communicate verbally just enough.

I'm thankful they get along with each other pretty well. I'm thankful for a great wife to share this privilege of a burden (or is it burden of a privilege) with. And I'm thankful for my little guy who's growing and learning and proving to be both a handful and a blessing.

Postscript: This is kind of dumb but I notice a lot of parents don't use names or post many pictures of their kids online for often unspoken but understood privacy and security reasons. I don't buy it all 100% but abiding by those principles nevertheless.

Wednesday Wisdom

Yikes, it's been almost exactly a month since I posted. 

Not that the world is desperately clamoring for my perspectives on things, but I do intend to be disciplined with regular posts here. 

In my defense, I'm working through my third week battling pneumonia. I feel like the worst is over thanks to antibiotics and meds. 

It has certainly thrown me for a loop though. And I've certainly had extra time to take stock of things and think through lessons and reminders God may be wanting to show me.

Here are a few:

• Rest is both good and essential. Unsurprisingly, this illness has made me tired and worn out on a daily basis. That's kind of what pneumonia does. Thankfully my wife allowed me to take extra naps often at random times and away from the chaos of our toddler boys. I was mostly home-bound and had to miss two Sundays at church as well. It was good to have a break in my regular routine. It was good to remember there are limits to my energy and capacity to do things. Busy-ness is not a fruit of the spirit. Sabbath rest is still a critical principle of discipleship. It allows for both my body and spirit to heal and recharge.
  
  
• My church is filled with capable people. I love the smaller community God has placed us at. And when this illness set in, the last-minute prep was fairly smooth. Responsibilities got covered, sermons were preached, fellowship still happened. My church needs me, but they don't NEED me.
  
  
• I need to accept my newer, older identity. Ever since I was a kid, I had above average athletic endurance ability. That's very specific but here's what I mean. I always found myself able to run long distances or play sports for long periods of time without feeling like I was dying of fatigue. I was usually one of the top runners in the elementary gym class mile run they always had us run. I had fun playing basketball for long hours and found myself able to keep my energy up when others tired. In addition to basketball, I ran track in college and though the season was already underway, I was able to be fairly successful at the 400 hurdles (an ideal race for someone who isn't speedy fast, doesn't have time to build up endurance for long races, but can do a little bit of both). Even after my college years, I stayed active regularly playing recreational basketball, slow pitch softball, and staying in semi-decent shape. As I've hit my late 30's and now into my 40's, I've noticed more physical limitations. It is harder to stay in shape and other family priorities get in the way of those activities I once participated in. And now this pneumonia really made reality set in. I could barely chase my boys around the living room without having to catch my breath. Bouncing back from being winded has been hard. Now I hope to be able to stay in some kind of active shape once this is past. But I'm more and more resigned to the fact that a part of my identity - being physically capable of doing stuff and not tiring - is changing. My pride has and is taking a hit. And I need to adjust.
  
  
• I can be grateful this isn't worse. I was worried at the beginning I'd contracted COVID. That worried me not just for myself but because I had been around a bunch of people that week. Thankfully, two tests showed I was negative. But I had some restless nights where coughing made rest rare and breathing was labored. During this same time, three people I know have gotten COVID and all had severe symptoms. One even passed away. I am ok, my family is healthy, and getting medical attention was pretty effective and not super expensive. I am grateful it has not been worse.