Giving Thankfully

Been wrestling with the word thanksgiving this week.  When I think of thanksgiving I think of this time of year, when we give thanks for all we are blessed with.  I have a roof over my head. I am thankful. I have food on my table. I am thankful. I have clothes on my back. I am thankful. I have family and friends. I am thankful. Paul tells us to "give thanks in all circumstances." So... this time of year we pause to give thanks...

Here's my struggle... When we take out special time that is designated to do something we make sure we do that thing really well during that time.... BUT, it takes the emphasis off the fact that we should ALWAYS be doing that thing whether it's during that special time or not.  Make sense? It's spirit day at school... we go all out painting our faces and dressing up. Shouldn't we always have school spirit though? Not just on spirit day?  It's Mother's Day. We honor our mothers.... Shouldn't we always honor our mothers?  Valentine's Day... We share love with those that we love. Shouldn't we always show them love?  It's Thanksgiving day... We give thanks for all that we are blessed with... Shouldn't we always be giving thanks?  Give thanks in all circumstances!

Makes me wonder if we are really grateful in the first place?  If we were really grateful, wouldn't we show it on a regular basis.  And if we were really grateful for all that we have wouldn't we notice how little others around us have? And if we really noticed how much we have in view of how little those around us have don't you think we would do something about it? You see? If we were really grateful for how blessed we are we would be anxious to bless others... 

So... Maybe Thanksgiving's focus shouldn't be so much about sitting around a table gorging ourselves on turkey and mashed potatoes while we thank God that we aren't in the same boat as those less fortunate than us... feeling bad for then... kind of... not bad enough to really do anything about it though... or else we WOULD do something about it. 

We do good... kind of... at giving thanks... But if we were really good at giving thanks, maybe we would start GIVING THANKFULLY... Thankful that we are blessed enough to be able to give. And I am not talking about just giving out of the leftovers... You know what I mean? Someone comes to the door on a can drive... so we go to the back of the pantry and find the dusty can of chicken broth that expired last year and give it away so we don't feel guilty for not giving anything... because a dusty, expired can of chicken broth makes such a good meal.  Or we donate the old pair of jeans or the coat with holes in it and stains up the front... We give our leftovers... What if God would had that attitude with us? They're not worth me sending my best.  They don't need my only beloved.  They ought to be grateful for this old nasty can of chicken broth from the back of my pantry.... Hmmmm?

This holiday season... I want to focus on GIVING THANKFULLY rather than just giving thanks... Because the Father gave thankfully to me.

MOUNTAINS, MOCHAS, AND MINISTRY

And the Boss said, “You are spending too much time in the office!”

What? Too much time in the office?!  How could that be? Right now on my desk are my lessons for the next 3 weeks of Sunday School, the message I am beginning to plan for “big church” in November, the material for the outreach program that is 3 weeks away, my small group stuff, the plans for our new discipleship ministries team, promo material for the webcast I’m hosting on Saturday, new devotional materials to review, and a to-do list that includes activities for young adults, teen leadership, youth outreach, and so much more! If I don’t spend more time in the office ALL THIS MINISTRY WON’T GET DONE!!  And I rush off to an appointment in a small town 30 minutes away.

As I pull into the parking lot of the coffee shop where we are to meet I receive the dreaded text message. “Pastor, sorry I have to cancel. Something came up.” Now, not only do I find myself 30 minutes from the office where I have a stack of work a mile high, but I find myself with 60 minutes of “wasted time” with nothing to do before my next appointment in this same small town.  I could drive back to the office, but by the time I get there it will be time to return... so I grab a cup of coffee and sit down... forced to take some time to... to... to breathe.

Finding a seat in the corner where I can observe the action and see out the window, the first thing I notice is the people... coming and going, doing their business... grabbing a cup of coffee or a quick sandwich before rushing off to their next appointment. After 30 minutes, an everything bagel and a cup of coffee I finally turn my head to look out the window... and I see it. Wow! What a view.  Just past the little motel across the street and through the trees with their fall leaves... is the mountain.  Not just the mountain, but THE MOUNTAIN.  In about a month it will be white with snow, but now at the beginning of fall just small white patches remain. I begin to reflect on just how firm and faithful THE MOUNTAIN is.

You see? Through the years and through the seasons the mountain remains.  The leaves change... the blanket of snow comes and goes... month to month it looks different... but THE MOUNTAIN remains.  Firm, faithful and true. I could never get used to seeing that mountain. And my mind wanders off to the mountain...

Then all of the sudden with the drop of a mug full of coffee behind the counter, my mind comes crashing back to the reality of the moment. The barista scrambles to clean up the mess and my brief daydream flees. My mind returns to the mountain of work that remains just out of my reach in my office a half hour away... but now I’ve been reminded of the mountain.

I realize the mountain in my life is JESUS... the firm, the faithful, the true.  The mountain in my ministry is NOT all the paperwork and plans piled high on my desk, but Christ’s call to GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES.  What that looks like may change with the seasons... maybe one method now and another method next year, but THE CALL never changes... so in the midst of the changing methods how do I remain faithful to the call? I get out of that office where the piles are high and spend more time in the coffee shop where I can engage others who are making the journey with me... towards THE MOUNTAIN.

Our Students Are Leading the Way

Each year the fourth Wednesday of September is a day I look forward to. Why? Because it's the day students across the nation gather for See You at the Pole.

This student led prayer movement is a sign of hope in a messy world. It shows me that there is still a generation who believes there is better direction than the world is currently going and is willing to stand for their God and for their communities, schools and friends.  It challenges me, as an adult, to follow their example and be bold about my faith. It reminds me of our freedoms in this nation, our freedom of worship and our freedom of speech. 

Each year as students gather to pray I give thanks that there are still students willing to live out Paul's words to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12 to not let anyone look down on them because of their youth and to be an example to the believers.  Thank you kids! Thanks for being JESUS today!