The Pastor's Perspective

 Like I am sure many of you who are reading this can remember that childhood game "Simon Says" The rules were simple: only follow the instructions if "Simon says" them. Yet, dispite the simple instructions we quickly learned how difficult it was to follow them. How many times did we jump the gun, doing something without hearing those magic words, and end up out of the game?       It really does prove a vital point I have found to be true time and time again.  That truth is following instructions, especially when they challenge our assumptions, isn't always easy. This is profoundly true when it comes to following God's leading. Doing what God has called you to do sounds simple but to implement it is anything but easy. What happens when God "says" something that goes against everything we've ever known, everything we've been taught, or even everything we feel comfortable with?       This is exactly what Peter discovered one pivotal d...

            I have always been artsy, and I love to draw and watch programs about drawing and art. Growing up, one show always captivated me: "The Joy of Painting" with Bob Ross. With his gentle voice and signature afro, Bob would transform a blank canvas into breathtaking landscapes, complete with "happy little trees" and "friendly little clouds." What truly mesmerized me was his ability to take what looked like a blob of paint, or what seemed like an accidental smudge, and turn it into a majestic mountain or a shimmering lake. When he started off you might have thought "well he done ruined it" then by the end you were left mesmerized. He'd often say, with a reassuring smile, "There are no mistakes, just happy little accidents."      Don't we often feel like we've made a mess of things in our own lives? In 45 years of living here on this earth I will be the first one to say that I have had my fair share of  mistakes. There ...

       We've all witnessed it. The campaign speeches filled with bold pronouncements, the unwavering commitments made with conviction. Yet, as the dust settles and the realities of governance take hold, those promises often seem to evaporate like morning mist, don't they. It sometimes leaves you wondering "Hey have you forgot about what you said just a few months ago?"        We hear explanations, justifications about "evolving circumstances," and needing to reach across the isle. Sometimes we hear things about how they don't have enough votes anyway. Or a thousand other reasons why they can't do the very things that they promised they would do. It can leave us all feeling a bit used, and frustrated.        Machiavelli, once said "the promise given was a necessity of the past; the word broken is the necessity of the present," that sadly seems to echo in the halls of capital hill today. We've become accustomed to a cer...

  "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"  -   Micah 6:8     I believe w e live in a world that seems to be saturated with discussions about justice, fairness, and truth. It seems to be something that we hear a lot about these days. It seems there is always someone championing for change for one thing or another. There seems to be more and more people willing to speak out and call out injustices that they see going on in this world. This is not a bad thing necessary and it certainly beats the alternative of silence in the face of iniquity and inequality.      As followers of Jesus, our hearts resonate deeply with these concepts or at least I believe they should. We read the powerful pronouncements of the prophets, the compassionate acts of Jesus, and the calls for righteous living throughout the Scriptures. Verses about caring for the w...

     There is a story about a Civil War soldier who had  a peculiar strategy for survival. This Confederate soldier thought one day that he would put on a blue Union coat and gray Confederate trousers. What this soldier thought was that if he would do this it might shield him from enemy fire. Surely, he reasoned, neither side would target someone who appears to be one of their own. With his disguise complete he decided to test his theory out. So the soldier tiptoed  out onto the field, confident in his clever camouflage. The result, was not what he expected! A barrage of bullets from both sides came hurling at him. His failed attempt to appease everyone left him vulnerable to everyone.     I  shared this story because I believe it paints a vivid picture of the perilous path of compromise, especially when it comes to our Christian faith. The desire to fit in, to avoid conflict, to find common ground can be a powerful lure. One that many find themse...

       As a parent I think we all have had this common experience. You ask your kids to do something simple – put away their shoes, clear their plates – and you get a cheerful, "Okay, I will!" Any experienced parent knows not to get their hopes up. Because fast forward an hour (or three), and you discover the task remains untouched. Then you begin to hear the excuses and reasons why the simple task was left undone.       As a bus monitor, I see this play out daily. The rules are clear: "Sit down properly," "Stay in your seat while the bus is moving." It's not a mystery, and by this point in the school year, it shouldn't be a challenge. I mean we are not talking rocket science, right? Yet, the wiggles, the wandering, the outright refusal to comply persist. It's not a lack of understanding; it's a failure to obey, a resistance to immediate action.      But before we cast too many stones at these minor's, let's take a long, hard look i...

            You know, the other day I was just thinking about how things change when they're...connected. Like, when you plug in your phone that has lost all its juice. One moment it is just a very expensive paper weight. Unable to take calls or send them, even the spam calls can't get to you ( on second thought that don't sound to bad) Yet when you plug that phone into the charger; Suddenly, it's not just a dead piece of tech anymore. It's alive, buzzing with information, possibilities. You are able to connect to others, and others can connect to you.      This got me thinking about how that plays out in our lives, not just with gadgets, but with everything. We crave connection, don't we? To people, to ideas, to something bigger than ourselves. We were built for connection. Science has shown time and again how we all need to be connected. As God has said it is not good for man to be alone (Gen 2:10). Even the most introverted perso...

       Depiction of Exodus 16 We often find ourselves reflecting on moments of spiritual triumph, those times when our faith felt vibrant and alive. Yet, the challenge lies in maintaining that fervor amidst the daily grind. As my father would say, "It's not how you start, but how you finish that matters." This adage echoes a profound truth, particularly in our spiritual journey. It's not the initial spark that defines us, but the consistent flame we carry through life's ebbs and flows that matters most.      There have been many pastors who have started off strong only to be found no longer serving God later in there life. There have been Christians who at one time were faithfully serving the Lord, yet now they are no longer to be found in church, let alone involved in any kind of service for the Lord. There have been many who's faith started out as a blaze, that has now dwindled down to a mere ember.       King Solomon, a man of un...

     Missionary John G. Paton Ever feel like you're surrounded? Not by well-meaning friends bearing casserole dishes and well wishes. Instead you feel surrounded by a hostile force, a looming dread that threatens to consume everything you know or love? Yeah...me neither, well not in a literal since that is. However I have had moments in my life when I felt I could not breath, and life seemed overwhelming. I have been in some situations in my life that I did not know how I was ever going to make it.       But imagine this: you're a missionary, deep in the South Pacific, and a war party of angry locals has encircled your humble headquarters, torches flickering, intent on making you and your family a human bonfire.       That's exactly what John G. Paton faced. One night, the air thick with menace, he and his wife did the only thing they could: they prayed. Not a casual "bless this mess" kind of prayer, but a deep, desperate plea for d...

    Have you e ver been mesmerized by a chameleon? That incredible little lizard with the superpower to vanish into its surroundings, changing colors and patterns in the blink of an eye. It’s a survival tactic, a way to stay hidden, undetected. God's creation is pretty ingenious, right?     From the way they walk, to the way there eyes move independently from one another. The creature is pretty fascinating. Yet the one thing most people remember most about chameleons is how they can change there color's to blend in with the rest of the world. That is probably its most distinct and remembered characteristic.       But what if that incredible ability, that instinct to blend in, started creeping into our spiritual lives? What if, as followers of Jesus, we began to adopt a similar camouflage, subtly (or not so subtly) changing our colors to match the world around us? For many Christians this is a very distinct possibility. It may even be something th...