As I write this we are in the middle of what will probably be called “The Blizzard of 2010.” I’d guess we have at least fifteen inches of snow on the ground, and forecasters are calling for five to ten inches more by the time it’s over.
Some people have to work during a snowstorm, and I thank God for the plow drivers, first responders, power line crews, and others.
But for most of us, especially if we don’t lose electricity, a snow day is something we look forward to. I know it is for me.
A snow day is a chance to just sit back and relax. Nobody expects us to go to the office. Nobody expects us to run any errands. Nobody expects us to work in the yard or drive anyone anywhere.
So what do we do instead? Read by the fire. Work a puzzle. Play a game. Drink hot chocolate. Odds are the whole family is there in the house together, which may not happen often anymore, and we can do these things together. We might go out and build a snowman or have a snowball battle. Or we might just sit and talk to each other – which most of us need a lot more of.
And when it’s over, you feel good. You feel relaxed. You feel refreshed and rejuvenated. And you may think, “Wow, we ought to do that more often.”
You know what? God thinks so, too. In fact, God thinks it’s so important that he made it one of the Ten Commandments. One day out of every seven. The Bible calls it “sabbath.” It’s a time to rest, relax, be with family and friends, and be with God.
Your body needs it. Your mind needs it – just ask a doctor how many health problems are caused or exacerbated by stress. Your spirit needs it. Your family needs it.
Don’t wait for a snow day to force you to obey the Fourth Commandment. Do it every week. Start with church, which refreshes your spirit in worship and refreshes your soul by being around a wonderful bunch of people. Then spend the rest of the day doing things you enjoy and you aren’t required to do. You’ll be amazed at the difference it will make for you the rest of the week.
God didn’t command us to take a weekly snow day because he likes rules. He did it because he loves you. So enjoy it!
About Me
- Pastor David
- I serve as pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Annapolis, MD. I'm married to beautiful Paula, mother of my 4 sons and one daughter. I was a systems engineer before entering ministry 29 years ago.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
What We're All About
It's a well-known fact that people who read Revival Fire Annapolis are exceptionally knowledgeable and intelligent (not to mention good-looking). As such, I would like your help with something.
We're doing some work on our Trinity Church website right now. As of this writing, none of the changes are published, they are still in draft stage. One of the things we are adding is some explanation to go with our vision statement: "Jesus: It’s all about H.I.M. - Hosting God’s presence, Imitating Jesus, and Making him known."
The below is what I wrote to go on the first page of our website. I would love to hear your thoughts. Is it clear? Is it engaging? If you were looking for a church, would this make you more likely to try Trinity? Is there anything about it that doesn't seem right?
I really appreciated the insightful comments I received on an earlier posting. Please let me know what you think of this. Thanks!
"Jesus: It’s all about H.I.M. - Hosting God’s presence, Imitating Jesus, and Making him known.
Hosting God's presence: God created people to share his love, so God's great desire is to live with his people. Our great desire is to be a people God wants to live with, comfortably and freely expressing himself to us, in us, and through us. We want everyone who comes among us to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are in the presence of the living God who loves you, and a church of people who want to love you as well.
Imitating Jesus: As a church, our job is to help each other become more and more like Jesus. This means growing in the four great characteristics of Jesus, by the power of the same Holy Spirit who lived in Jesus and who now lives in every Christian.
• Spirit-filled character - Jesus always demonstrated the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We want to do the same.
• Spirit-led wisdom - Jesus always knew what to do as he followed the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We want to do the same.
• Spirit-powered actions - Jesus brought God's miraculous power to help in time of need. We want to do the same.
• Spirit-motivated multiplication - Jesus invited and equipped others to join him in advancing the Kingdom of God. We want to do the same.
Making him known: This is too good to keep to ourselves. We work to equip, motivate and encourage every Christian to carry the presence of God in love and power everywhere they go, to everyone they meet. And we want every small group of Christians to be ready to be the church and do church any time, any place, with anybody.
We base this on the following passages from the Bible: Revelation 21:3; Ephesians 4:13; Galatians 5:22-23; Romans 8:14; Acts 1:8 and John 14:12; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 8:4-8."
We're doing some work on our Trinity Church website right now. As of this writing, none of the changes are published, they are still in draft stage. One of the things we are adding is some explanation to go with our vision statement: "Jesus: It’s all about H.I.M. - Hosting God’s presence, Imitating Jesus, and Making him known."
The below is what I wrote to go on the first page of our website. I would love to hear your thoughts. Is it clear? Is it engaging? If you were looking for a church, would this make you more likely to try Trinity? Is there anything about it that doesn't seem right?
I really appreciated the insightful comments I received on an earlier posting. Please let me know what you think of this. Thanks!
"Jesus: It’s all about H.I.M. - Hosting God’s presence, Imitating Jesus, and Making him known.
Hosting God's presence: God created people to share his love, so God's great desire is to live with his people. Our great desire is to be a people God wants to live with, comfortably and freely expressing himself to us, in us, and through us. We want everyone who comes among us to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are in the presence of the living God who loves you, and a church of people who want to love you as well.
Imitating Jesus: As a church, our job is to help each other become more and more like Jesus. This means growing in the four great characteristics of Jesus, by the power of the same Holy Spirit who lived in Jesus and who now lives in every Christian.
• Spirit-filled character - Jesus always demonstrated the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We want to do the same.
• Spirit-led wisdom - Jesus always knew what to do as he followed the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We want to do the same.
• Spirit-powered actions - Jesus brought God's miraculous power to help in time of need. We want to do the same.
• Spirit-motivated multiplication - Jesus invited and equipped others to join him in advancing the Kingdom of God. We want to do the same.
Making him known: This is too good to keep to ourselves. We work to equip, motivate and encourage every Christian to carry the presence of God in love and power everywhere they go, to everyone they meet. And we want every small group of Christians to be ready to be the church and do church any time, any place, with anybody.
We base this on the following passages from the Bible: Revelation 21:3; Ephesians 4:13; Galatians 5:22-23; Romans 8:14; Acts 1:8 and John 14:12; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 8:4-8."
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The Most Natural Way to Connect with God
What is the best, most natural, most spiritual way for human beings to connect with God? What spiritual practices result in the greatest spiritual passion and fulfillment?
Some say it's all about the Bible. Others say no, the Bible is good, but the Bible is really just to point us toward the real thing, which is experiencing God's power.
Wait, another one says. If you really want to connect with God, go in a closet and close the door and stay there. But that idea freaks out somebody else, who really finds God best by taking a walk in the woods.
As a pastor and a musician, I have had to faced the frustrating fact that in Sunday morning worship services, some people put up with the music in order to get to the sermon, while others endure the sermon as the price they have to pay to hear the music.
And then there are those who say all that is OK, but Christianity is all about serving people, and the only way to truly connect with God is by actively serving someone in need.
Who's right?
All of the above.
Two recent books each outline nine different ways in which different people most naturally connect with God. Christian Schwarz, in The Three Colors of Your Spirituality, calls these spiritual styles. Gary Thomas, in Sacred Pathways, calls them spiritual temperaments. Every denomination and tradition contains people of each style or temperament. The key to spiritual growth is first to discover your natural or native syle or temperament (both books provide help in this), and then to intentionally develop an appreciation for the others.
The point is that no one way is right for everyone, and no way is wrong (as long as it leads you to Jesus, as Jesus is described in the Bible). No one way is more or less spiritual or Christlike. But when we all work together and pool our connection with God, then we have something awesome.
Some say it's all about the Bible. Others say no, the Bible is good, but the Bible is really just to point us toward the real thing, which is experiencing God's power.
Wait, another one says. If you really want to connect with God, go in a closet and close the door and stay there. But that idea freaks out somebody else, who really finds God best by taking a walk in the woods.
As a pastor and a musician, I have had to faced the frustrating fact that in Sunday morning worship services, some people put up with the music in order to get to the sermon, while others endure the sermon as the price they have to pay to hear the music.
And then there are those who say all that is OK, but Christianity is all about serving people, and the only way to truly connect with God is by actively serving someone in need.
Who's right?
All of the above.
Two recent books each outline nine different ways in which different people most naturally connect with God. Christian Schwarz, in The Three Colors of Your Spirituality, calls these spiritual styles. Gary Thomas, in Sacred Pathways, calls them spiritual temperaments. Every denomination and tradition contains people of each style or temperament. The key to spiritual growth is first to discover your natural or native syle or temperament (both books provide help in this), and then to intentionally develop an appreciation for the others.
The point is that no one way is right for everyone, and no way is wrong (as long as it leads you to Jesus, as Jesus is described in the Bible). No one way is more or less spiritual or Christlike. But when we all work together and pool our connection with God, then we have something awesome.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
"Why?" Is the Wrong Question
The prayers and thoughts of people all over the world are with the people of Haiti, and those trying to help them. The last estimate I read said they expect 200,000 deaths from the earthquake, with countless more injured and homeless, without medical care, shelter, food or even water.
When terrible disasters happen - and it seems like we've had a lot of them lately - it's only natural to ask, "Why?" If God is real and God is good, why do things like this happen?
It's amazing how much time and effort people put into trying to find an answer to that question, and the number of different answers they come up with.
"Why?" is a natural question. But I think it's the wrong one.
I'll be talking about that tomorrow morning in my sermon. I won't ignore the "why," but I will be trying to shift us to something I believe is more relevant: what God expects of us in the face of such things. If you can't make it, it should be available in the form of a podcast on the church website by Tuesday.
In the meantime, the two great needs for Haiti right now are prayers and cash. You can pray by just talking to God, wherever you are, in whatever language feels right to you, right now. You can donate at church, or through a number of online sites. I recommend www.umc.org. The United Methodist Church has an excellent emergency/disaster relief program, and 100% of your gift goes straight to the need, because the denomination covers the overhead.
When terrible disasters happen - and it seems like we've had a lot of them lately - it's only natural to ask, "Why?" If God is real and God is good, why do things like this happen?
It's amazing how much time and effort people put into trying to find an answer to that question, and the number of different answers they come up with.
"Why?" is a natural question. But I think it's the wrong one.
I'll be talking about that tomorrow morning in my sermon. I won't ignore the "why," but I will be trying to shift us to something I believe is more relevant: what God expects of us in the face of such things. If you can't make it, it should be available in the form of a podcast on the church website by Tuesday.
In the meantime, the two great needs for Haiti right now are prayers and cash. You can pray by just talking to God, wherever you are, in whatever language feels right to you, right now. You can donate at church, or through a number of online sites. I recommend www.umc.org. The United Methodist Church has an excellent emergency/disaster relief program, and 100% of your gift goes straight to the need, because the denomination covers the overhead.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
What If I Didn't Get Healed? (Or Stay Healed?)
A few months ago Trinity Church hosted a guest speaker who led a weekend of healing services. There were some amazing reports of miraculous healings. Many of those who were healed are enjoying their new freedom. Praise the Lord for that!
But some people received prayer and didn't get healed. And others had their symptoms disappear, only to have them return again.
What's going on?
Some people say this kind of thing proves God doesn't really heal, it's all in people's heads. Others say it proves God is capricious or arbitrary or he plays favorites. Some say if you didn't get healed, you don't have enough faith, or the person praying didn't have enough faith, or the church doesn't have enough faith. Some say if something doesn't work every time, it isn't scientific, so forget it.
I don't buy any of that.
People don't get healed every time they go to a doctor. Does that mean all medicine is a fake?
People who do find relief through medicine sometimes find their symptoms returning. Does that mean we should forget the whole thing?
I believe God wants us well. The Bible refers to Christians as the children of God, the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, and the army of God. What loving Father wants his children sick? What head wants its body sick? What groom wants his bride sick? What general wants the army sick?
God so much wants us to be well that he has given us numerous redundant systems to make it happen.
In the natural realm, God put healing in our bodies through an incredible immune system. He gives us medicines, surgery, nutrition, exercise, and alternative therapies.
In the supernatural, the Bible describes a wide range of ways in which miraculous healings are ministered. I have seen people healed in many of these ways.
For a long time I didn't pay a lot of attention to the subject of healing, though I always believed in it and prayed for it and from time to time would see miracles.
Recently, though, God has brought this much more to my attention. In fact, I'm currently working on a book about what I believe are some neglected aspects of the subject. I appreciate your prayers for this project.
The ultimate healing, of course, comes after the death of this mortal body. That's when we receive our new resurrection bodies, fit for eternity. But God wants us well in this life.
God's will is not always done on earth as it is in heaven - that's why Jesus told us, in the Lord's Prayer, to pray for that to happen more. So sometimes people are not well. But that doesn't mean sickness is God's will.
To paraphrase Dr. Robert Tuttle, it's not a sin to be sick and die. But it is a sin to allow someone to be sick and die without doing everything we can to alleviate it.
That includes physical and spiritual remedies.
So I'm learning what I can, and doing what I can. I don't think any of us can do less.
P.S. I always appreciate comments, but I would really like to hear from you about this subject, especially if you have stories or questions.
But some people received prayer and didn't get healed. And others had their symptoms disappear, only to have them return again.
What's going on?
Some people say this kind of thing proves God doesn't really heal, it's all in people's heads. Others say it proves God is capricious or arbitrary or he plays favorites. Some say if you didn't get healed, you don't have enough faith, or the person praying didn't have enough faith, or the church doesn't have enough faith. Some say if something doesn't work every time, it isn't scientific, so forget it.
I don't buy any of that.
People don't get healed every time they go to a doctor. Does that mean all medicine is a fake?
People who do find relief through medicine sometimes find their symptoms returning. Does that mean we should forget the whole thing?
I believe God wants us well. The Bible refers to Christians as the children of God, the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, and the army of God. What loving Father wants his children sick? What head wants its body sick? What groom wants his bride sick? What general wants the army sick?
God so much wants us to be well that he has given us numerous redundant systems to make it happen.
In the natural realm, God put healing in our bodies through an incredible immune system. He gives us medicines, surgery, nutrition, exercise, and alternative therapies.
In the supernatural, the Bible describes a wide range of ways in which miraculous healings are ministered. I have seen people healed in many of these ways.
For a long time I didn't pay a lot of attention to the subject of healing, though I always believed in it and prayed for it and from time to time would see miracles.
Recently, though, God has brought this much more to my attention. In fact, I'm currently working on a book about what I believe are some neglected aspects of the subject. I appreciate your prayers for this project.
The ultimate healing, of course, comes after the death of this mortal body. That's when we receive our new resurrection bodies, fit for eternity. But God wants us well in this life.
God's will is not always done on earth as it is in heaven - that's why Jesus told us, in the Lord's Prayer, to pray for that to happen more. So sometimes people are not well. But that doesn't mean sickness is God's will.
To paraphrase Dr. Robert Tuttle, it's not a sin to be sick and die. But it is a sin to allow someone to be sick and die without doing everything we can to alleviate it.
That includes physical and spiritual remedies.
So I'm learning what I can, and doing what I can. I don't think any of us can do less.
P.S. I always appreciate comments, but I would really like to hear from you about this subject, especially if you have stories or questions.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Non-rehearsed Children's Christmas Eve Pageant
We're doing it again this year. Trinity's 7:00pm Christmas Eve service will feature a non-rehearsed children's Christmas Eve pageant.
What, you ask, is a non-rehearsed children's Christmas Eve pageant?
I figure every church needs at least one time a year when the kids can dress up in costumes and the grandparents can take pictures. Christmas is a great time for that. Unfortunately, the traditional children's Christmas pageant requires several weeks of rehearsals to get ready, creating a lot of stress on everyone's schedules just at the time they don't need more stress.
The solution? A Christmas pageant with no rehearsals!
Every child who shows up at Trinity's Christmas Eve children's service will be invited to be a part of the pageant. We will provide the costumes, the script, the coaching, the music, and the microphones. The kids take it from there. The more the merrier! We especially enjoy and welcome new children and families.
We did the NRCCEP ("Non-rehearsed Children's Christmas Eve Pageant") last year for the first time, and it was ... it was ... well, it's kind of hard to describe what it was. Let's just say it wasn't a time of solemn reflection. It wasn't even "A Charlie Brown Christmas." But everyone had a wonderful time and everyone definitely wants to do it again. And I firmly believe all the children came away with a greater understanding of the Christmas story.
So we're doing it again this year.
I hope we'll see you there. And bring somebody with you!
What, you ask, is a non-rehearsed children's Christmas Eve pageant?
I figure every church needs at least one time a year when the kids can dress up in costumes and the grandparents can take pictures. Christmas is a great time for that. Unfortunately, the traditional children's Christmas pageant requires several weeks of rehearsals to get ready, creating a lot of stress on everyone's schedules just at the time they don't need more stress.
The solution? A Christmas pageant with no rehearsals!
Every child who shows up at Trinity's Christmas Eve children's service will be invited to be a part of the pageant. We will provide the costumes, the script, the coaching, the music, and the microphones. The kids take it from there. The more the merrier! We especially enjoy and welcome new children and families.
We did the NRCCEP ("Non-rehearsed Children's Christmas Eve Pageant") last year for the first time, and it was ... it was ... well, it's kind of hard to describe what it was. Let's just say it wasn't a time of solemn reflection. It wasn't even "A Charlie Brown Christmas." But everyone had a wonderful time and everyone definitely wants to do it again. And I firmly believe all the children came away with a greater understanding of the Christmas story.
So we're doing it again this year.
I hope we'll see you there. And bring somebody with you!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Thanksgiving and Christmas
Just a quick thought -
What if everyone made a list of the things they were thankful for at Thanksgiving, and then for Christmas tried to find at least one person who didn't have one of those things and give it to them?
I don't mean things like a DVD or a box of candy. I mean the more meaningful ones.
For instance, at Thanksgiving I said I was thankful for my wonderful family. This Christmas, how can I bless someone who doesn't have a family?
At Thanksgiving, I was thankful for the bountiful food. This Christmas, how can I bless someone who doesn't have enough food?
You get the idea. What did you tell people you were thankful for this Thanksgiving. How can you give someone else the opportunity to be thankful for the same thing this Christmas?
What if everyone made a list of the things they were thankful for at Thanksgiving, and then for Christmas tried to find at least one person who didn't have one of those things and give it to them?
I don't mean things like a DVD or a box of candy. I mean the more meaningful ones.
For instance, at Thanksgiving I said I was thankful for my wonderful family. This Christmas, how can I bless someone who doesn't have a family?
At Thanksgiving, I was thankful for the bountiful food. This Christmas, how can I bless someone who doesn't have enough food?
You get the idea. What did you tell people you were thankful for this Thanksgiving. How can you give someone else the opportunity to be thankful for the same thing this Christmas?
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