There has been a lot of doom and gloom going around lately since some major financial agnecies have gone under. There is alot of specualtion going around about what is the right thing to do concerning those agencies as to should the federal government bail them out to the tune of billions of dollars or should they just let them fend for themeselves and go under. If we do provide help how much and how will it be managed? Those are all important questions. I only heard stories about the great depression from my parents, my mother was born right at the start of it and my father was a young man just out of high school. They told me stories growing up about how difficult it was during those times. Families and neighbors worked together to help each other out in order to make ends meet. It was a time when people cared about each other and help them to get through those tough times.

I believe the command of Christ to care about each other calls us to action in helping one another get through difficult times like we are facing. God calls us to help one another and that is one of if not the most important mission of the church. It is the call of Christ in my life that brings me to church in good times and bad and it is the assurance of God's presence with me that helps me get through difficult times. How can we do that as a church?

Be here for each other. Listen to the pain each person carries as a part of their life. Then act on behalf of the grace God has shown you and show God's grace to another in need.

A week from tomorrow I turn 55 and it is time to take a moment to look back on my life. If you would have told me 28 years ago when I graduated from seminary that I would be where I am in life and in ministry and be enjoying both life and ministry more than at any other time in my existence; I would have thought you to not be telling the truth.
Life for me has been an amazing journey. I have met some wonderful people along the way. I have been in situations that have been not only enjoyable but at times they have been challenging. While there are some experiences I would not want to repeat I realize those experiences, good and bad have all had an impact on my life and have played a part in who I am today.
I continue to believe life is a learning experience. I am continually excited about the things I am learning about faith and God and how those things play out in the life of the church today. It is exciting to see God doing new things continually in my life. It is also exciting to share those things in the church and see and hear the faith experiences that people have.
At 55 years of age I realize my life is most likely more than half over but God is still alive and active and doing new things. I can't wait to see what the future holds.

Recently at the church I pastor we had the opportunity to view the movie, "Lord Save Us from Your Followers." I thought the film was excellent and had a great message for people both in and out of the church today. One of the best points made in the film was one of the major problems we face in our society is we are only interested in letting others know where we stand or the positions we take on issues and we no longer seem to be willing to listen to the other people around us.
I find this in particular to be true in the political arena. It seems as we are heading toward the election that people choose up sides, talk only about their candidate and expect us to listen to them but do not want to hear anything when it comes to the other side. This creates a win lose situation and the only thing that matters is my side needs to win. Usually that means if I can yell the loudest, be the most charismatic person to attract the most people and place a better spin on where I stand on the issues then I will win. Now I have discovered that both sides of debates are guilty of this practice and the only thing it serves to do is make both sides more polarized.
What is more frightening than this fact are the results. I saw it in several places today on a personal level. There were four incidences which happened to me today which brought this to light. First, I got into a disagreement on a web site with a person because of how a certain issue was handled. It did not take long for others to jump in and take sides and the whole issue escalated out of proportion. It was quickly stopped by the person moderating the board. After talking personally with both the parties involved he was able to resolve the situation.
The second incident happened at my gym. While working out I heard one of the persons on another piece of equipment start talking in a loud voice about how they needed to s change the channel on the television because he did not like the politcal persuasion of the one being broadcast. It did not matter what anyone else thought he was making sure he was heard and his wishes were followed. The loudest voice is often the one that gets heard. As I left the gym today he was still explaining his position to anyone who would listen.
The third incident happened in my car, I was waiting at the stop sign when a person yelled something directed at me for what reason I am unsure but it was certainly not complimentary. A road rage incident could have easily resulted but I drove away wondering what the problem was.
A fourth incident was through a piece of e-mail I recieved which I found very offensive. I quickly deleted it and went about my business.
Of those four incidents I responded to only one and it quickly got out of control. ( I do plan on aplogizing for my actions.) In each case based on what I have seen lately in our world a response in the other three would more than likely have created a greater escalation of hostility and further problems.
I have spent the afternoon pondering how has our society gotten to this place and is there anything I can do about it. The movie I mentioned earlier did have a solution and it was to take time not only to speak but to hear what others are saying, to have a conversation. Then there is a chance for understanding. That is what I plan to do. Now I have an apology to make.

It has been quite a while since I have posted anything on my blog so I figured it is time to begin posting once again. This summer had some new adventures for me and my family and it seems like there are always some new things to look at and experiment with during times like these.

There were some great highlights for the summer. The high point for me was the family vacation to Yellowstone. I am not much of a camper as a matter of fact I have not camped for about 35 years. The last time I went camping when I was in my late teen years I got such a bad asthma attack I was afraid to try it again for fear of it happening again. But with my asthma under control and a chance to go to Yellowstone with family I decided to give it a try and it worked out well.

It was a great time to not only see a great National Park but also spend time in a unique setting with family. As you can see from the picture we took a whitewater rafting trip and among other things we did some hiking and did some relaxing in the setting of our campsite. What pleased me the most is both our daughters said to us after returning we need to make this a family tradition.

Another highlight of the summer was a mission trip to Texas to work on hurricane damaged homes. There were six of us from the church that went and we working with another crew from Iowa. It was a great time of working together and making a difference in the life of one family.

I love mission work because it get me out in the community and directly meets the needs of those we serve. I am looking forward to returning to to the gulf coast for another opportunity to work in November.

A third highlight of the summer for me was taking a class exploring interim ministry. I really loved the chance I had to do an interim a few years ago and could see me engaging in this work on a regular basis. I took the class to see if this type of work would be for me somewhere down the road. I enjoyed the class and now plan to take the follow up course in October.

Ministry and life continue to challege me in new ways. There is a great deal of life left to be explored and as I turn 55 this month I can honestly say this is the best time of my life so far and if that is any indication there are still better times to come.