It's Never too Late...

Time. Despite all our time saving technology, there never seems to be enough to do everything we need to do, and at the bottom of the list (where we put ourselves), the things we want. At the end of the day or the week you find yourself frustrated that you didn't get certain things done and empty because you didn't get the fulfillment you'd hoped from taking other time for something to refresh your spirit. It didn't work out the way you thought. Once again you face another day or week feeling drained, with too much ahead of you to do. You're already behind before you start.

Have you considered revisiting your list to see what's really on there? If you examine it as someone else might (out of habit everything looks essential to our eyes), you may find at the heart of it is a person who's overloaded with worry, and that staying busy helps you feel you're doing everything you can to stave off whatever it is that's at the bottom of your fears. Because fear (another word for worry) is most often central to what's driving us. I believe God would say it's time to get a new list!

Life has taught me that God's principles are more real with every passing year. When times are tough, they become more valid and vital to our survival (as well as our prosperity). As people we are not different from earlier generations and especially when things are thin it's time to clear the decks and regroup. Circle the wagons and draw strength from one another in fellowship and peace from renewing our faith and in celebration. Time to revisit what's really important, even if that means borrowing from the faith of your friends when yours is feeling a little faint. This is where God lives. He is waiting to meet you in your doubt, fear, pain and anger to bring you peace of mind and most of all, real and true Hope. He longs for you to feel the Love, security, joy and peace He promises in His Word. Your peace of mind is so important to God that the command to "fear not" appears in every book of the Bible.

In the last few weeks of Lent, as we walk with Jesus through His temptation, pain, crucifixion and the ultimate victory in His resurrection, let's come together in the opportunities for worship and renewal and begin again with worship and fellowship being central to our new list. It's never too late to put aside old ways. Never too late for hope and joy. In this day and age, I'd say it's right on time!

"For where your treasure is..."

There is a comfortable rhythm to the “seasons” of the church year which are similar to the changing seasons in our New England climate. It was a joyful thing the other day to once again see the sap buckets hanging on the sugar maple trees around the yard of the parsonage because this means spring really IS coming! The sap is running and that means the earth is preparing to send forth new life into every living thing. This, my friends, includes us! This is what Ash Wednesday and Lent are all about: preparing the way for new life, new growth, stronger limbs, more and better fruit to come as a result, and new sweetness sprung from the ashes of old sorrows. Who would think, for example, that from deep within the gray hardness of the sugar maple tree would gush clear, bountiful liquid which from the Native Americans we learned to boil down into a healthy, luxurious sweet syrup? In recent years we’ve discovered that maple syrup is one of the few sweeteners which are more kind to the system as it doesn’t cause a sudden jump in insulin requirements. One more way in which God provides not only for us to just “survive” or “get by”, but gives us the very best --- HIS very best, as we are His children whom He loves.
Lent is a time between the depth of winter and the brightness of spring which provides us the perfect opportunity to become reoriented to just who we are, as in “Whose” we are. We are God’s children, heirs to Christ and His kingdom. This is our time to prepare the way to receive all that this means: joyful, spirit-filled, faith-filled and faithful living. New life in every way, in the here and now, right here on earth.
Ash Wednesday is a perfect time to get back to the basics: God will and does provide everything which we, His children need. Realize that Lent is our time, 40 days, to diligently return to the basics. To pare back from earthly luxuries which distract us from the fullness of life Jesus came for us to have: warm relationships with Him and with others, gladness from the everyday beauty which surrounds us, reconciliation and forgiveness, putting aside shackling and poisonous bitterness, and renewal of a meaningful, joyful satisfaction of giving deeply so that others may have restoration in their life.
Throughout Lent, I’d like you to consider this verse, meditate upon it, and delve deeply into it. Daily set aside quietness for yourself in listening, as the Lord will speak to you personally about what it means specifically to you and your growth: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matt. 6:21
Bidding you the peace of Christ!

Well...it's official....I've got a blog!

You can’t imagine how long I’ve been resisting this. Well, if you’re a member of my church who emails me, perhaps you can. Technology and I are on growing terms as I endeavor to make a better friend of my computer.

This morning at breakfast with some Pastor colleagues, though, I realized it was time to take the plunge. Yes, I do read my email and respond and periodically experiment with “surfing” the Internet for information about church history, Biblical archeology, evangelism, church revitalization as well as the news. But a blog? Wow. This seemed quite beyond my minimal computer abilities until, after much reassurance and explanation from my pastor friends that even somebody with my modest skills could do this and, well, here I am.

Yes, my wife Karen (the technological person in the family) helped me find the best setting for my blog. First I checked out “Facebook” as this was the place some of my pastor colleagues found to be a good networking tool. I even registered there. Then, however, it seemed to be that there had to be a “blog space” better suited for Christian writing rather than the totally inclusive compendium of what can be found on “Facebook”. So, friends, ignore my registration on Facebook …. But also ignore the one at Chrisitanblog.com as that just seemed too difficult to navigate! Blogspot.com seems the easiest to write for someone a little technology challenged like myself, as well as the easiest for others to find. So now here it is: the name of my blog is "Christ is my Brother" and it's location is http://www.christismybrother.blogspot.com/ . For me, so far blogspot.com is an ideal (and free) hosting place.

So now, after writing my “about me” and my Testimony as my first blog post, this is my introductory entry. I don’t know how often I’ll post but I will try to do so on a regular basis. Some insight from my reading that I think might be interesting to you, a piece of news you might find edifying in your growth or even potentially funny stories about our dog (or cats) which usually end up with rather surprising Christian moral endings --- especially about relationships and how to get along with one another embracing our differences.

I invite you to link up as a “friend” (however that goes --- remember I’m really new at this) and join me on this journey. Already I’m beginning to get over my blog-anxiety…this is starting to be fun!!! See you again soon!

Next topic may likely be about why I’m not wearing my alb in church these days…..(and no, I haven’t been “de-albed” …completely voluntary for intentional reasons)

My Testimony

As a Christian, our testimony stands as an important witness to our life. However, it's not the "be all and end all"...it's really a glimpse into our spiritual beginnings and provides information about the path which brought us to where we are. People have asked on occasion about my testimony as a Christian, so it seemed fitting that my first post be about this important subject. Here goes!

Jesus has been part of my life as long as I can remember. I guess you could call me originally a "cradle Baptist" as this was the denomination of my grandparents and my parents. My family moved from Massachusetts to run a ski inn in Franconia NH and then to Cazenovia, NY where my dad continued in his profession as a chef but as a "trouble shooting" chef which sent him to many exotic places to "fix" various large hotel restaurants. My family became members of the Presbyterian church where I was baptised and confirmed. My brother and I were hugely involved in the church youth group and then I went off into the world as an adult and into the service as a Russian Linguist in the US Air Force. This experience led me to walk in many parts of the world where my Biblical "mentor", Paul, lived, wrote and taught and enriched me deeply. Unknowingly, still, Christ was calling me closer to Himself and to a ministry I had not yet envisioned. It was here, though, through some tragic occurrences and losses of a close Christian friend, that I realized Jesus was more than a guiding "principal" in my life, but a blazing powerful presence who had saved me literally many times from my own folly and distress. Jesus became real to me in a way that has not only shaped the rest of my life, saved me for all eternity, and compelled me to carry His peace and healing grace and minister it to hurting people everywhere. Later came Boston University and Andover Newton Theological School and ordination in the United Church of Christ. During the time of great turmoil of the Viet Nam War, I realized the people who most needed Christ were soldiers in the field and I re-entered the Air Force as a Chaplain. Since then I have served people in churches and communities all over the US and continue to be amazed and grateful at the healing power of the grace of Jesus. Truly Christ is not only my savior, He walks with me every day as my brother. Joyfully, I am currently serving as Pastor of The United Church of Penacook.