Tougher If There Wasn't Any!

Remember when you were a kid and you would whine and complain about something?  Well, my mom didn’t like whining and her normal response was, “If you don’t stop that whining I’ll give you something to REALLY whine about!”  One night at dinner we were having some kind of meat concoction that I didn’t like, so I spit the meat out on the plate and with a whiny, sarcastic tone I very emphatically told my mom that “this meat is too TOUGH!”  My mom’s response shocked me.  She stood up, turned to me and took away my dinner plate.  As she was doing that, she said to me, “Well, Carol Ann, tougher if there wasn’t any!  You are excused from the table!  Go to your room…now!”  My mom didn’t tolerate whining or acting up at the dinner table.  Rather than being grateful for the meal that my mother had made, I decided to complain and whine.  I was  like the Israelites who complained to God about the manna they received. 

Pastor Steve’s sermon this week reminded me of that childhood experience I had many years ago.  The Israelites were a lot like us – complainers and whiners.  Remember what they said this week in The Story: “We want meat!!”  They complained and expressed their discontent at the manna they had been given.  Just like they forgot all that God had done for them in the past, we forget all that our Heavenly Father has done for us too.  We focus on US.  We set our own priorities and when things don’t work out we get mad at God.  We complain and even blame Him sometimes.  Funny thing is, most of the time we have never even consulted Him before we made the decision in the first place.  We usually move ahead and then ask God to bless our decision. 

I’m glad that our Heavenly Father, never gives up on us.  I’m also glad that despite my whiny attitude some days, God continues to shower me with His grace, love and mercy even when I deserve to have my dinner plate taken away. 

Listen to Celine Dion’s song “Come to Me.”  It’s a song about the relationship between parents and children.  When you hear the words to this song, remember that your Father in Heaven also invites you to come to Him whenever you need Him.  He is a loving parent whose heart is always open and waiting to hear from you.

Pax,

Pastor Carol

Lost in the Cookie Aisle

Have you ever been lost?  I remember when I was only 4 years old and I got lost at the grocery store.  You see, I didn’t keep up with my mom, I stayed in the cookie aisle upset that my mom wouldn’t buy my favorite cookies, which at that time were Aunt Sally cookies.  I know, an odd choice for a 4 year old, but I was a kid with rather distinctive likes and dislikes.  While I was protesting the fact that my mom wouldn’t buy the cookies I wanted, I didn’t notice that my mom had turned the corner and left the cookie aisle.  Well, when I realized that my mom was missing, I ran to the next aisle.  She wasn’t there either.  Then I started to cry.  A woman who was stocking the shelves asked me what was wrong and I said, “I’m lost.  I can’t find my mommy!”  Well, my mom heard my loud bellowing cries from 3 aisles over, as did the entire store, and my mom soon recovered her LOST child.

In his sermon this past week, Pastor Matt mentioned that we need to understand what it feels like to be lost.  Those of us who were “born” into a family of faith never really knew what it was like to be lost; to not have a relationship with Jesus Christ.  We live in a reality that never saw the “before.”  When I was the Alpha Director here at Calvary, we would have many unchurched, and dechurched people taking the course.  One of the biggest thrills for me was when I would see a person who was “lost” come to a realization of God in their life for the first time.  Their whole continence changed.  They were transformed!  They were changed forever. 

I still remember one man who came up for Communion on the Alpha Retreat several years ago and got on his knees on the floor in front of me.  With tears rolling down his face he lifted his hand and said – “I want Jesus!  I need Jesus!  Give me Jesus!”  You see, he had never know Jesus before the Alpha Course and on that retreat that day he gave his life to the God who lost His.  He was lost, but now he had been found and claimed by the Living Lord.

Listen to Jeremy Camp’s song, “Give me Jesus.”  I know every time I hear this song I remember that young man who knelt before me and declared his hunger and need for Jesus.  He was lost, but now he was found.

In His Grip,
Pastor Carol

The Pharaohs in Our Lives

This past weekend, after Pastor Skip’s sermon, I found myself ruminating on the word “pharaoh.”  At the end of his sermon, Pastor Skip posed the question – “What or who are the pharaohs in your life?”  For each of us, I suspect we could come up with a few things that are like pharaohs to us and a few people who have acted like pharaohs toward us.  I know I sure did!  In fact, as I was beginning to think about the pharaohs that have been in my life, I found myself no longer angry at their “hard hearts,” but rather overcome with a combination of both sadness and thankfulness; a rather odd combination of emotions. 

I was sad because so many of the pharaohs in my life have been people who seem to have it all together on the surface, but underneath they carry deep hurt, pain, anger, and resentments that they have not dealt with or healed from.  The root of their suffering has spread throughout their whole being and no matter how hard they try to put a mask on it, their suppressed pain comes oozing out in hurtful ways toward others.  I’ve learned that often times hurting people, hurt people. 

On the other hand, I was also thankful.  Thankful that God had put them into my life.  Yes, I did say thankful!  Some of you probably think I’m nuts for saying that, but you see sometimes God puts those pharaohs in our lives in order for us to more fully trust in Him and to not loose heart.  Look at Moses!  He went back and back again to pharaoh.  I also think that God puts pharaohs in our lives so that we can be part of the healing process God has in store for them.  It has been my experience that when I encourage the pharaohs in my life to remove the “everything is OK” mask and allow them the space to put a voice to their pain and name it, the pharaoh in them melts in a bath of tears, sorrow, pain and regret. 

None of us know the hurts and pains that many people are carrying with them.  Maybe the pharaohs in our lives are really hurting people just crying out for God to heal their pain.  As Pastor Skip said on Sunday, if you find a pharaoh or two in your life do not lose heart because God keeps his Word and His message is a message of hope.  God’s promise for Moses is the same for us.  Can I have an AMEN?!

Here’s the song “Deliver Us” from the movie “Prince of Egypt.”  May God deliver you from the pharaohs you are facing in your life.

Pax,
Pastor Carol

It's Planting Time!

Several of us from Calvary attended the LCMC (Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ) annual conference this past week in Des Moines.  The conference theme this year was “Growing in Christ.”  The word that struck me the most over the week was “mission.”  It seemed to radiate out of every speaker we listened to.

The mission of the church has not changed, but somehow we often get diverted from that mission in our day-to-day church activities and our lives.  We find ourselves spending more time dealing with budgets, staff meetings, and the “doings and programs” of the church.  We find ourselves dealing with our busy family schedules, the demands of our jobs, and we forget the real mission we are called to in this world.  The mission of the church is about changed lives through Jesus Christ, not all the “stuff” that we have made it to be.  A number of speakers over the week made the point that it’s time to go back to our roots: the Word of God.  In fact, one of the speakers, made the comment, “We don’t need to think outside the box for new innovative church discipleship ideas, but rather we need to look inside The Book.” 

Well, let’s look in The Book.  Look at Luke 4:18-19.  This verse seemed to be on my heart over the past week and has been ruminating in my mind. 

The Spirit of the Lord is on me.  He has anointed me to proclaim the good news to poor people.  He has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners.  He has sent me so that the blind will see again.  He wants me to free those who are beaten down. And he has sent me to announce the year when he will set his people free.

Friends, that is our mission and the mission of the church.  The church should be the life-center of the community; a place for healing, hope, help and recovery; a place that makes a difference.  We are all “anointed.”  We need to start owning our status as sons and daughters of the Living Lord and stand up with boldness!  We are called to “proclaim” to others; we are to “announce” and “free.”  Those are verbs and are a call to action.  I asked myself a tough question this week that you might ask yourself as well:  Are you REALLY living out God’s mission as a disciple in this world every day?  Are we planting seeds?

I’m asking God this week to give me “nudges” and “moments,” despite my schedule, to “live out” His mission each day, even those days that are full of busyness and activities.  We need to keep the word “mission” in front of us all the time, especially on those extremely busy days.  After all, we are called to “plant” the seed and “water” the ground, and God does the rest.  I think I can plant and water even on those busy days.  How about you?  Let’s plant some seeds and watch God work! 

Here’s a song from Kristy Lee Cook called “Plant the Seed.”  It reminds us how important it is to plant seeds.   



Pax,
Pastor Carol