10 Gifts of Rest and Renewal

Fountains, living water, captured
my imagination and lens this summer.

Renewal has been a planned part of the summer Study and Renewal leave.  My training, my job and my culture teach me to seek and report tasks, but they seldom encourage rest and renewal.  Thank you for being a part of God's design for rest.  

Below are 10 Gifts of Rest and Renewal.  They are refreshing and wonderful.  Just recall a time you've had time with a friend for a long lunch, or a weekend with no scheduled tasks...nice, eh?  Here are 10 of the gifts that have renewed my spirit:

1. No Evening Meetings, allowing time for family and offering a restful stopping place at the end of each day;
2. Walking an average of 5 1/2 miles each day has entertained life-giving prayer, transportation, engagement with the world around me, and improvements to health;
3. Traveling in my truck, navigating the countryside.  I enjoy the adventure of new places and conversations with new-found friends;
4. Woodworking offering creativity and clear accomplishment.  (I love working with people, and it's hard to know how much is accomplished on any given day.)  I finished my Ukulele, built a Cajon (wooden drum), and crafted several walking sticks;
5. Family Time with Penny, the kids, grandkids, my sisters and their families...it's just great to have some additional weekends when they're free, and a slower pace permitted quality time for family;
6. Worship at Many Tables means that I've experienced the ministry of others and enjoyed the variety in the Body of Christ.  I've worshipped on the boardwalk by the ocean and with a homeless congregation,  in satellite congregations and in historic downtown churches.  Each place and people sharing gifts, experiences and insights;
7. Learning growing from my natural curiosity, partnered with time to explore everything from places to people, books to museums--every experience a building block;
8. Pacing that is life-giving.  In our American/Western Culture I/we frequently live as if there were not enough time in the day.  The truth is that God has made plenty of time for that which is important and necessary.  This summer I'm remembering the core of those essentials;
9. Encouraging Conversations with friends, colleagues, and all those who surround me too often gets hurried in the busy-ness of life.  This summer offered reminders and invitations that it is OK to be right here, right now;
10. Emptiness draws attention that which makes me richly filled.  There have been moments of personal emptiness beckoning me toward new spiritual and emotional resources.  There have been times of emptiness felt in lost routines, causing me to appreciate deeply the loving congregation that has walked with me through a dozen years and a summer of study and renewal.  What a gift...thank you!

There are more gifts to be appreciated and in this celebration I  rejoice that the familiar rhythms of pastoral life return later this week.  I look forward to reconnecting with the people of Palmyra First UMC-- I've missed you all.

I anticipate renewing familiar tasks with fresh eyes, seeing in the conversations of old and new, glimpses of transformed life promising hope-filled ministry ahead.  I'm excited about this next season of conversation, life and being followers of Jesus together. 

10,000 Joys in Jesus Who Gives Life

Pastor Dave

A List of earlier Study Renewal Blogs Here

October is for discernment!  Discernment, according to Webster, is "the ability to see and understand people, things, or situations clearly and intelligently."  In this month we're seeking understanding in our finances, our congregation and in our directions.

In the "Enough" series we are seeking clarity about our God given resources and how best to use them.  We have begun thinking, studying and praying together about how to best serve God with what God has first given us.  This includes our financial commitments as well as our prayers, presence, service & witness.

For our Oct. 21st Charge Conference we're reflecting on what God has been doing among and through us in the past year and where God is leading in the year to come.  This involves reviewing the ABC's (Attendance, Buildings, Cash) but more importantly seeking out "God Moments," where we're seeing God at work, in our life together.

Finally, our Church Council has convened a Vision Team to think and pray together about 3 goal directions and offer insight.  This team has people from each service, all ages and they aren't already on Council.  When you read this they hope to have some preliminary recommendations for our Council as we set 2016 goals, helping us see where God is leading.

Possibly there is one more area... your own life.  Where are you seeking clarity?  Seeking God?  Seeking growth?  Seeking direction?  How can I hold you in prayer?  Share in a conversation?  Connect you with a Koinonia group to make the journey with you? 

God is always ready to help us discern and celebrate the holy.  Jesus makes the way for this to happen and the Spirit walks with us all.  May this be a time of great joy and discovery reflecting the love of Christ in your life. 

10,000 Joys Following Jesus, Dave

What Would You Do If You Couldn't Fail?

     What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?  How would that choice or action share Jesus’ Love with others?

     I recently began asking that question of many things.  I know some of my habits and patterns as a pastor were formed when Sundays didn't have community sports, when most stores were closed on Sunday, and when photocopy machines weren't in the church office.   I now photocopy, text, preach-from-a-tablet, use a Smartphone and find good things in all these changes.  Yet, all my ways of living the love of Jesus don’t reflect the changes in the world around.  So I've been asking, “What needs to be updated to fit in God’s world?”  God says, “See, I’m doing a new thing!” (Is.43:19)

     When I started as a pastor 30 years ago I could visit a whole list of shut-ins in an afternoon because they were always home and lived in the community near the church.  Now they are spread out and their retirement communities have worship, buses to the doctor & store, activities and assistive tools allowing family to include them in offsite activities.  All great things, and now finding one or two shut-ins available in an afternoon can be a challenge.  So when I asked, “How can the church show care to these folks?” we, a community of caring, began using a team of people and one-on-one communion “friendship” visits. I focused on special needs, hospitals, requests and crises, all of which are often our shut-ins.  It’s not perfect yet, but it’s an adaptation in progress.  Jesus says that all of us are to be a part of, “Love one another.” (John 13:34)

     Another question I've had to ask myself is, “What am I unwilling to change in order to share Jesus’ love?”  I want to say “nothing,” but my actions may say differently.  I want to learn how to put everything in God’s hands.  Faith wisdom says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” (Prov. 3:5)

     Our church has a recent meeting about building modifications including a strong vote pursuing a redesigned, welcoming entrance, a change, so that we can get a barrier or two out of the way of sharing Jesus’ love.  That is a celebration!  What else do we hold onto?  What other ways of being the church and doing ministry do we need to ask these questions of?

     This year we had a Vacation Bible School meeting and asked these same questions and changed our strategy from a 5 weeknight pattern to a one day festival event.  Why?  Because we don’t want to fail in sharing Jesus’ love.  Because people’s schedules have changed dramatically since we began a weeknight pattern.  Because we believe that we were listening to God’s voice leading in new ways.  Because the word of God says, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” (Lk.8:21)

     For me I want to care for all and sometimes hesitate to change out of fear that I’ll be uncaring.  Fear, I know, isn't God’s way of working and yet it sometimes gets in my way.  For me sometimes I want more information about things that are hard to measure, and yet I know that God works first with transformation and doesn't lead with information.  Failing to follow God out of perceived lack of information is putting information higher than faith in God.  The wisdom of scripture reminds us to put God first and says, “But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.” (Mt. 6:33)

     It is simple and yet complicated.  Simple is, “Love God and love neighbor.” (Lk.10:27)  Complicated is in the how. So back to my original question, beyond the complications, “What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?  How would that choice share Jesus’ Love?