A Curious Thing

It's official now - my letter to the church appeared in the newsletter we received in the mail this week. It will be interesting to gauge the reaction now.

It's a somewhat curious thing, though. Pastor D came to speak with me two Sundays ago and said my letter would be delayed to the following issue so that he could have time to write a response. But there was no such response in this newest issue.

Last week I had gotten an email from the church secretary thanking me for the article and it would be published. Judging from the tone of the email, she seemed rather pleased with my letter.

So what happened? Why no delay? Was Pastor D overridden? Not that I'm complaining, mind you. But considering the chain of events lately, maybe my letter has had a bigger impact than I expected - or hoped for.

A New Beginning for Our Church

This is a day of new beginnings, time to remember and move on, time to believe what love is bringing, laying to rest the pain that's gone.

- The United Methodist Hymnal (1989), pp. 383;
words by Brian Wren, music by Carlton R. Young

Today we got a big announcement at church. In fact, it was pretty huge (I just don't think folks know yet what an impact this will have).

After all kinds of communication with the Annual Conference and things looking grim for our church, it would appear now that the good guys got their point across and our District Superintendant made well-informed and good decision, and appointed a new pastor for us. And when I heard the announcement of who it was this morning, I was extremely pleased.

You see, Pastor B just happens to be someone I know quite well - he is the dean of the music camp I serve at every summer. I know this man to be a humble servant of the Lord and whose words will have a healing effect on our congregation. Pastor B tends to be pretty laid back and lets the staff do their thing at camp. I think when you translate that to running a church, we will be in good hands The laity at our church will once again be given the latitude to succeed - or fail. But in either case, we should be a stronger church under the direction of this man who truly is a shepherd.

It doesn't hurt that Pastor B has a strong musical background and a love for the music that we provide for worship. And he already has a good rapport with our choir director. It would also appear that those who believe our music program is outdated will not find an ally with the new pastor.

Today, I was given a brand new hope. I know what Pastor B can do for our church, and I'm excited again (I even asked to be liturgist on his first Sunday with us). Just when many of us thought that the next chapter would be the last, it now appears it will be a new beginning.

Pastor B often will open a meditation at camp (and I know he says this in his church as well) by saying, "Has anyone told you today that you're special?" Indeed, these are words that my church is aching to hear. I can hardly wait - July can't come soon enough.

Sure Glad That's Done

I sat staring at my computer trying to work on my annual performance appraisal on Thursday night. Definitely not the funnest thing to do (see my previous post to see how I really feel about it). I didn't get any farther on it Thursday night.

But on Friday night I got really ambitious and started writing down a lot of stuff. And hey, I had a pretty good year! I finished my review at the office on Saturday morning.

I'm glad that's over with.

Explaining Death

I got this in an email and thought it was pretty cool:

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."

Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."

"You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.

Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing...I know my Master is there and that is enough."

Ugh! Annual Performance Appraisal Time

Well, it's that time of year again. Time to fill out my performance appraisal for the year. One of those things I hate to do (in fact, everyone hates to do it). It's due Monday. I would rather go clean the cat box. Come to think of it...

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's Off To Fun They Go

My wife is on spring break now, so she and the girls and our grandson are on the way to Disneyland for a few days. S was amazed how she wasn't all tired and sleepy when she got up this morning. She can use the break.

Meanwhile, I'll hold the fort here with all the critters. I'm going to grill a steak, now.

Taking A Stand

Taking a stand isn't always easy. My letter to the church (link) hasn't even been published yet and it's already stirring up a few people - most importantly, our pastor.

Mind you, this is a letter not written of my own mind, but inspired by the Holy Spirit, and written under the authority of Jesus Christ. These are words that need to be shared in our church. Granted they are strong words, but they don't single out any individual. They don't place blame on anyone. Yet, they seem to be convicting. And my pastor is upset. So I hear. He doesn't talk to me.

My letter. My pastor's rebuttal. My church's response. Our next church newsletter should be very interesting indeed. As one friend says about my situation, I already have one foot out the door. What have I got to lose?

Speaking out boldly in my faith has been invigorating to my spirit. I have received positive responses from two people already. They are encouraging me to fight the good fight. Pastor D has promised to put up a fight of his own by writing a rebuttal. I say bring it on - in fact, I welcome it. It only serves to strengthen my resolve.

A Letter to My Church

If you've been reading this blog, you know that we've experienced considerable turmoil at my church. In response to a recent article in our church newsletter, I was compelled by the Holy Spirit to respond with a letter of my own. The opening of my letter pretty much states the testimony I wrote on my home page. The following is an excerpt from the remainder of the letter:

There has been some talk that we need to have more available in [our church] to keep people in our church. I couldn’t agree more. But there is also talk that perhaps there is too much emphasis on worship, and what we offer every Sunday is perhaps too much. Well, I don’t buy that (how do you think I got here? didn’t you just read my testimony?)

Recall the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). To make a long story short, three men were entrusted with various amounts of money (called talents) while their master was away. The one who received the most talents did very well, doubling his investment. The one who received the next higher number of talents also doubled his investment. But the one who received the least made no return as he didn't even bother to invest his talents.

Many of the artists who share their talents with [our church] have been blessed with an abundance of those talents. Perhaps without realizing the Scriptural significance of their actions, they are also investing those talents in a place where those talents will get the most return.

Let’s face it. In order to get the most out of his/her talents, one needs to be in a place where they will get the most return for utilizing those talents – it simply does not work elsewhere. If the man with the most talents just buried them, who would have benefited? Nobody!

While [our church] is unique in its music program, that does not mean it is unnecessary or without value. There are few places outside of [our church] where the talents we currently possess can be utilized to their full potential. Some of those other places in the Phoenix area are

not even in a church. And sadly, none of them are in a United Methodist Church.

We have some highly talented people who have made a conscious choice to share their talents in a worship setting at [our church]. And if it appears that those involved with the Worship and Arts seem to jealously guard what they have here at [our church], just know that they are essentially fighting for their home. It’s not like they can just go to another Methodist church in the valley and pick up where they left off – because one simply does not exist. Period.

I happen to be one of those whom God has abundantly blessed with a musical talent. That talent is what God used to lure me into [our church] – and ultimately a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Sure, God would have found another way – but this was the best way – and in my mind, the only way. So I hope you understand that for me, this is deeply personal. If you discount the mission of our Worship and Arts, then you discount my testimony.

I don't worship at [our church] because it is convenient. I don't drive from Glendale (almost Peoria!) every Thursday night to rehearse because it is convenient. There are at least a dozen pages worth of churches listed in the phone book that are closer to home where I can practice my other spiritual gifts. Our music program is the only thing unique to [our church] that keeps me coming. And what a privilege and honor it is to be able to minister to my church - [our church!] - in a way which I have been so blessed and so much enjoy.

It’s time to drop all the bickering and politicking – NOW! It’s time to work together – as the Body of Christ (read 1 Corinthians, chapter 12). It’s time to give of our time, our resources, and our talents so we can make all this happen. And be the church God intended us to be.

Well, there it is.

Weather We Can Get Excited About

It rained here yesterday. Pretty exciting. Only in Arizona.

It wasn't just the fact that it rained yesterday. It rained for the first time in 143 days, the longest dry streak in Phoenix history. It not only rained - it rained a lot. We got about an inch and a third here at our house. It also snowed in the slightly higher elevations. We can see snow-covered mountains around Phoenix, especially to the north. Pretty cool.

New Look for This Old Blog

Okay, so this blog really isn't that old. But I think the new and simplified style looks better and will be easier on the eyes. It will also be easier to edit. Most of the links have been moved to my home page and are easier to see at a glance. And granted that construction is essentially over, there will be more tweaking in the days and weeks to come - but you probably won't notice. So enjoy!

Construction Alert on This Old Blog

Do you ever get that urge just to change things around a bit? That's what I'm going to be doing here on this blog. I've taken advantage of some new software and the free webspace provided by my IP and created a whole new home page (how about that!). Many of the little doodads you see on this old blog will move to my home page and I'll make this blog look a little more bloggish (is that a word? is "blog" a word?) and will probably sport a whole new look. So hang in there with me, and we'll have some fun!

Under the Weather

I've been fighting some upper respiratory ailment for about two or three weeks now. It was finally enough to knock me down and make me call in sick for work yesterday and today. Yesterday I could feel it in my chest. Today, I was showing signs of infection. So I went to the doctor's office and saw the nurse practicioner. I got drugs now. Life is good.