Sunday Reflection

What makes for a "good" Sunday? Is it looking out at the congregation and seeing very few empty seats? Is it seeing a lot of nodding heads and hearing a loud "Amen!" or two while your preaching? Maybe it's the feeling that God really is present and the Spirit really is moving in your church after all. Or it could be that all the individual pieces fit together and the worship flow was a thing to behold. Or...OR when you DON'T get any calls from the people who were in the pews asking, "Pastor what exactly did you mean by .......(fill in the blank)."
Personally, I think a good Sunday is when you sit down afterward and think, "Now that was fun!" Don't get me wrong. I'm not taking the seriousness of worship lightly. We meet in church to give praise to Almighty God and to receive his blessing and encouragement through his word and his people, and that's serious business. But it can also be a lot of fun. It's fun to catch those moments when we're all on the same page and the gospel of God just makes sense. It's fun to watch people have to wipe their eyes when somebody's testimony or special music hits them right in the heart. And it's fun to stand at the door and shake hands with people as they venture back out into the real world or pray with them before they leave.
Today my wife, Sandi, asked me if I like what I do. Without blinking I said, "Yes!" And that's the truth. What else could I be doing that's this serious and this fun at the same time? Like I've said before, when it stops being fun then I'll stop doing it. So far, I don't see me stopping any time soon.

My Heroes Wear Pink!

I am not going to lie to you. I am writing this with tears in my eyes and a huge lump in my throat because I just looked again at the pictures my wife Sandi posted on Facebook that show her involvement on the 2 day / 39.3 mile Avon Walk Against Breast Cancer this last weekend. Sandi and over 2,000 people (yes, there were men walkers, also) dressed in pink joined together to become a huge witness to the need for breast cancer awareness in our nation. Did you know (because I didn't) that every 3 minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer? The money raised goes toward cancer research and medical development. I'm not sure of the money these walkers raised, but I know each of them brought in at least $1800. That adds up to at least $3,600,000! Say it with me - WOW! Here's the part that gets me - As my wife walked, she wore a necklace with about 12 hearts on it, each bearing a name of someone we know who has either died from or miraculously survived one type of cancer or another. She was walking for those people who fought a disease we have yet to find a cure for, including both of her parents whom we have lost. She also walked to say, "Let's find a cure!" Sandi shared some remarkable stories she heard during the walk such as the one from walkers who walked for a friend who had been hit by 3 different cancers, and the lady who was walking even while she was waiting for results from her chemotherapy, and the man who made it his mission to walk every walk every Avon Walk in the United States! My new heroes wear pink, and they have forever touched my hearts. Now excuse me while I go wipe my eyes and blow my nose.

Oh the Atrocities of Life!

Some things just need to be left alone. Bacon - good. Chocolate - good. Chocolate covered bacon? Not a good idea. Of course, I also have a problem with deep-fried snickers, frog legs, and a hybrid bicycle-scooter. All these are things I saw at the LA County Fair, which is exactly what makes me want to go again! I simply marvel at the ingenuity of people. That's what makes it so funny that we are made in the image of God. I'm glad He has a sense of humor!