One Pastor's Perspective

Yesterday morning was an awesome time of worship at EBC. Some of our senior high students and college students led us, sharing their passion about our fire for Christ. Asking questions, such as “Are we lukewarm as individuals? What is heaven really like? Will WE see it?”

At 8:30, I stood in a back room (having spent the first half-hour in Children’s Church) and I watched, listened, and observed how we as a congregation received that message. At first, I found myself wondering about some of those closest to me in the sanctuary. Were they giving any credence to this message? Were they dismissing it as “just the kids” sharing? Did this message sink in?

Talking to some after the service, I was relieved to see that it did. I appreciate the fact that some were tuned in and allowed God to make quite an impact on them yesterday. But after standing in the back, as I NEVER do, I found myself trying to figure out how to move the back to the front and get some of those folks involved.

Our willingness to reach the next generation ALSO involves our willingness to adjust to methods that will reach them. If not, we are dismissing them and will eventually LOSE them.

Sobering thoughts for a Monday morning . . .

I know I try to be light and have fun with this blog, but there are times when I have to tackle serious issues and hope everyone will understand. Please do not read ANYTHING into this that is unintended . . .

Now that I have your attention, did you know that Florence now has a Moe’s Southwest Grill?? I would describe Moe’s as a cut above Taco Bell, a more upscale burrito, taco, quesadilla, and fajita place that custom makes your food as you tell them what to put on it and what to leave off. The food is good, atmosphere is nice, and location is right on Five Points at Florence Mall (behind ANOTHER new place that I will not mention out of respect for Wes Andrews).

If you have never been to a Moe’s, you need to try this place. If you have, I did not even have to write that. Now that we have a Moe’s, it is a given that Joel Fowler will visit Florence much more often (he is addicted).

I wonder if I will hear from ANY of the NC State fans that I heard from a couple of weeks ago??

David Carridine (star of Kung Fu, for those REALLY OLD readers), says you can find it in the Yellow Book telephone directory. Al Gore says you can find it on the Internet, which by the way, HE invented. Others say you can only find it within, after getting in touch with the inner self (and some are even bold enough to claim that inner self to be “god” (with a little g).

There is only ONE GOD, and you ain’t Him (and I ain’t, either). He is the Source of all truth, of all knowledge and enlightenment. Funny thing about enlightenment: God WILL provide, but we will NEVER understand all there is to know. In fact, the more I know, the more I realize that I don’t really understand!! Not to say we should not pursue this knowledge, or this relationship . . . It is really meaningful to seek God and His face. And I believe He WILL help you understand some things. But there are some things we cannot understand, or we could not handle. Sunday morning I talked about Progressive Revelation, how God reveals Himself to us as we can handle it. He gives us time to digest ideas, to stretch our faith, and then a little more. God made us and He alone knows what we can handle.

Trust Him, and He will bring the enlightenment. And it will be more than the Yellow Book could ever bring, more than the Internet could provide, and more than L. Ron Hubbard EVER IMAGINED.

You would think after being in ministry for sixteen years, I would begin to learn things about life. Apparently I am still learning. I am learning that I need to take special care in the things I say, and how I say them. I am also learning that some people will hold me to an impossible standard because of the title and calling I carry. And I had better be aware of that fact.

I guess it is a good thing to still be learning, because if I thought I knew it all, I would be in big trouble. The older I get, the more I realize that I really do not know a whole lot.

Okay, you KNOW it is a slow sports day when you see clips of bullfighting and lots of hockey on SportsCenter. Sure, they have highlights of college basketball and the NBA All-Star game, but I actually saw a clip of a bullfighter this morning. Slow news day, huh??

I guess they have to have their filler, too. Everyday is not a Super Bowl highlight day. The frightening thing is that I sat here and watched it. Maybe a sad commentary on my morning.

It was a cold winter day. An old man walked out onto a frozen lake, cut a hole in the ice and dropped in his fishing line. He was there for almost an hour, without even a nibble, when a young boy walked out onto the ice, cut a hole in the ice not far from him. The young boy dropped his fishing line and minutes later he hooked a Largemouth Bass.

The old man couldn’t believe his eyes but chalked it up to plain luck. But, shortly thereafter, the young boy pulled in another large catch.

The young boy kept catching fish after fish. Finally, the old man couldn’t take it any longer. “Son, I’ve been here for over an hour without even a nibble. You’ve been here only a few minutes and have caught a half dozen fish! How do you do it?”

The boy responded, “Roo raf roo reep ra rums rrarm.”
“What was that?” the old man asked.

Again the boy responded, “Roo raf roo reep ra rums rarrm.”
“Look,” said the old man, “I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”

The boy spit the contents of his mouth into his hand and said, “You have to keep the worms warm!”

The bait was the SAME, but the way it was presented was dramatically different. Get the picture?? Sometimes we have to alter our methods to catch fish. And that is what Jesus told us we would be doing . . . that WE would be FISHERS OF MEN. So, we are called to catch fish! The bait is the Gospel, and we cannot change it. But the method, how it is presented . . . Well, just look in the New Testament at how Jesus and Paul did it, and you will see a variety of methods. Those are our examples.

Go fishing . . . And don’t be afraid to follow the Holy Spirit!

I would hate to be an elementary school teacher today . . . I think I would call in sick. Last night, we almost had to call paramedics for some of our choir teachers because the kids were so hyped-up on chocolate! And, for every emotional high, there is a low. I wonder what those same kids would be like if they were assembled today. I bet there would be a big difference (unless some of them loaded up on chocolates this morning for breakfast).

Will we have the same reaction today?? Yesterday was a day to remind us of love, especially towards that special someone. Well, shouldn’t every day be like that?? Part of what makes marriages work is the commitment and everyday work. Marriage can never go into cruise control, because when it does, watch out . . . the wreck will be pretty ugly.

And, I am all about preventing those wrecks. So keep up the love!!!

I really don’t understand. I guess I never will . . . It will be one of those questions that I will ask somebody in Heaven. Girls, and especially teenage girls, are so unpredictable. I have stopped trying to figure Krissy out, because that only brings confusion and pain.

I am at home on a sick day today (my body can’t decide if I have allergies or a stomach thing). The one constant is a headache, and after having it yesterday, that is enough to get me to try working from home today. I offered Krissy a perfectly untouched Pop-tart, to which she turned her nose when she found out it was brown sugar and cinnamon. Drew, on the other hand, will eat ANYTHING (including dirt) as long as someone else fixes it for him. He will make some wife really happy someday. Krissy has to see the complete authentication on her food, and then sometimes she still won’t touch it.

As you can tell by reading my blog lately, life is passing me by and I have no clue.

What are you getting for your sweetheart?? What I would like to get for Diana and what I will get her are two totally different things. If I were made of money, I would get her a big rock to wear on her ring finger. In actuality, if I give her a rock, it will be the kind you find in a field. (That is what happens when you have a THIRD driver in the family)

What will you get for your sweety??