It just hit me – for the first time in 10 years I will not be heading off on a “mission trip.” Usually I am the one on the road, but this year I am the one staying home.

            Sarah and Kathy will be going with their Girl Scout troop to Washington, D.C. Nick will be going to the National Scout Jamboree in Virginia. But, for the first time in a decade I will be staying home.

            From the first time we started out on the road to Chattanooga to our trip last year to New Orleans (and the various trips to Rosebud Reservation, SD - Rand, WV – Wind River, WY – Marvel, AR – Green Bay – Duluth – New Orleans) these “mission experiences” have always been about reaching out to serve others in the name of Jesus Christ. We often talked about these as being the times we were “the hands and feet of Jesus.”

            And yet, as often as we helped and served others, we always found ourselves being fed, encouraged and blessed as well, often in ways and with people that we never would have expected. 

             No, there will not be a mission trip this year – but that does not mean that “mission” will not happen. Our new “summer day camp experience” is an example of “mission” happening right here in our own community.

            But there are so many other ways in which we the church and we the children of God reach out to care for others and to spread the good news. These are ways that often are taken for granted or not seen as being anything special. Still, these are ways and means in which people will know and experience the grace, the peace and the love of God for them and with them – through us.

            No, we will not be taking a mission trip this summer. However, this does not mean that mission is not happening. For we will be “the hands and feet of Jesus,” reaching out to care for, encourage and help those around us. And undoubtedly we will find ourselves being blessed in ways and through people we would never expect.

            Thanks be to the God who moves in mysterious ways – and who continues to work in and through us.

Pastor’s Page

            Easter is more than just a day – it is more than just a season. It is a way of living into the life and the joy that God offers to us and to the world. With that in mind, I share with you the writing of another pastor on the internet discussion group. Thanks to Pastor Wes Morgan of Conroe, Texas for these wonderful and inspirational words.

            Easter is a mystery – the greatest mystery of faith!

            It is that portion of faith which calls for the largest leap beyond all that we can see or touch or know. Easter brings us up against the edges of life and death and everything.

            For it is here that the boundaries between life and death become soft and merge into one another.  It is here that the borders which separate time and eternity meld and run over each other. It is here, at Easter, that we stand in the midst of creation and re-creation and wonder … wonder … wonder … because it is here, at Easter, that we look deep into the mystery of all creation and concern we don’t know.

            We don’t know how – or why – or what. We don’t even know what we don’t know.

            Easter moves us beyond knowing into faith which is surest kind of knowing.

            It is here at the corner of life and death that faith lives.

            It is here at the intermingling of life and death and faith that we come to the greatest truth about ourselves: the great god of the universe – the One who made us, loves us with a love which not even death can kill – loves us with a love which only death can reveal.

            It is here, where everything runs together and blurs, that one thing becomes very clear – life is a mystery that God has created, and called us to participate in, so that our living might be lost in that mystery – so that our dying might be beyond that mystery – so that we might come to where life in ites eternal qualities will be celebrated in god’s full presence forever! Amen and Alleluia!

Pastor’s Page

            I came across this the other day, published in an online format from the “Alban Institute” (a church revitalization organization). I share it with you and will add a few thoughts.

           Your pastoral leaders and your churches would be lost without you. Without you there is no community. Without you "Jesus" is an empty word rattling about in the corridors of history. Without you the church is a lifeless shell. The measure of the church's success is directly related to how you, the lay members of your community, love one another and live out your faith in your daily lives.
           Remember that Jesus' call was not to a bunch of ordained clergy. Jesus called fishermen, businessmen, hated tax collectors, feared soldiers, mothers, widows, prostitutes, the able-bodied, the infirm, people with faith, and people without faith. Jesus' call was for everyone to follow him. You have as much right to follow Jesus as anyone else. Your pastor, your church boards, your denominations do not have a higher claim on Jesus than you do. So take your role in the church and in the world very seriously. (“A Word for Lay Christians” by Wesley J. Wildman and Stephen Chapin Garner)

            To put this in perspective – all that happened on Easter morning may not have had the great impact that it did if it were not for the disciples, the ordinary people whom Jesus called to follow. For it is these ordinary people who will take this “good news” beyond the walls of the upper room, beyond the barriers of racial and ethnic boundaries, beyond the borders of Jerusalem and Israel and out into the world. If not for these “lay people,” one has to wonder about the existence of the church or the effectiveness of the Gospel message.

            As we head into the season of Eastertide at PPC, please do not underestimate the ministry that you, the people of the church, do: the Gospel message that you share; the hope that you proclaim; the peace that you model; the presence of God that shines through you.

            This is not only “power to the people,” but also “power through the people.” Yes, we’re the church together. And yes, you, and we together as a church community, do make a difference. 

Pastor’s Page

            One of the gifts I received for Christmas was a “slide and negative converter.” According to the instructions on the box, this machine, when connected to one’s computer, allows one to “convert” old photograph negatives and slides into a .jpg format.

            Does this “machine” actually change the original slide or negative? No. It only takes that which is there and transforms it so that you can see and enjoy it today.

             While I have not actually used the machine yet, I am looking forward to trying it very soon. Imagine, being able to look again at pictures and images that I had long since forgotten. Or being given the opportunity to walk down a variety of “memory lanes” that may not have been possible before. It takes that which is old and transforms it into something new.

            In a sense, this is what the Lenten season provides for us. Lent is a period of time set aside each year in the weeks proceeding Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes on the Saturday before Easter Sunday (Holy Saturday).      

            Lent is a time in which we are reminded of the God who, in and through Jesus Christ, takes the “old stuff” of our lives (our mistakes, our failures, our sins) and makes of us “new creations.”

            Now, if you are like me, I do not like to examine the “old stuff” of my life. It can be painful, discouraging and humbling to be reminded that we are human beings. And that we are also human beings who are not quite as perfect as we like to think, and have others believe, we are.

            However, it is in the “realization” of our humanness that we are provided with two special gifts: one – the realization of the depth of God’s love for us even though we are not perfect; and two – the chance to be set free from that which weighs us down and to be given the opportunity to experience a new beginning, to actually be “new creations.”

            I look forward to sharing this Lenten season with you, as we discover and rediscover God’s hope and peace on this journey of transformation that God makes possible us in and through Jesus Christ.

Pastor’s Page

           As we prepare for a new year, we often find ourselves wondering and dreaming a bit. With that in mind, this little story (called the “Three Little Trees,” written anonymously) made me stop, reflect, wonder and think. I hope it offers the same experience for you.

           Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up. The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: "I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I'll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!" The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on it's way to the ocean. " I want to be traveling mighty waters and caring powerful kings. I'll be the strongest ship in the world! The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. I don't want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world.

           Years, passed. The rain came, the sun shone and the little trees grew tall. One day three wood cutters climbed the mountain. The first wood cutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shinning ax, the first tree fell. "Now I shall make a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!" the first tree said.

           The second wood cutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is strong. It's perfect for me." With a swoop of his shinning ax, the second tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters!" thought the second tree. "I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!"

           The third tree felt her heart sink when the last wood cutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the wood cutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree will do for me." He muttered. With a swoop of his shinning ax, the third tree fell.

           The first tree rejoiced when the wood cutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feed box for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, or treasure. She was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals. The second tree smiled when the wood cutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the one strong tree was hammered and awed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river, instead she was taken to a little lake. The third tree was confused when the wood cutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. "What happened?" The once tall tree wondered. " All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God..."

           Many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. "I wish I cold make a cradle for him." Her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and sturdy wood. " This manger is beautiful." She said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.

           One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and a thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She new she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the wind and the rain. The tired man awoke. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, "Peace." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the king of heaven and earth.
           One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten wood pile. She flinched as she was carried through and angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hand to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.

           The next time you feel down because you didn't get what you wanted or things are not working out as you had planned, sit tight and wait – because God may have something even better planned for you to do and to be.

Pastor’s Page

            This month I share with you the insights of Dr. William Willimon, a bishop in North Alabama.

            God promised to come, in spite of our sad human history. God vowed to be with us, to show us God’s glory, power and love. That all sounded good until God showed up as Jesus of Nazareth, not the vague and thoroughly adorable whom we expected. Even among Jesus’ closest followers, there was this strange attraction to him combined with an odd revulsion from him … but the things Jesus said and did led many to despise him. On a dark Friday afternoon in Jerusalem that revulsion became blood repulsion …

            Three times Jesus hinted that his death might not be the end of the drama, yet the thought that anything in the world might be stronger than death was inconceivable to everyone around Jesus, even as it is inconceivable today. All of his disciples were quickly resigned to his death. End of story.

            As is so often the case with a true and living God, our sin was not the end of the story. Three days after Jesus had been brutally tortured to death … a couple of his followers went out in the early morning darkness to the cemetery …

            At the cemetery, place of rest and peace for the dead, the earth quaked … the angel preached the first Easter sermon: “Don’t be afraid. You seek Jesus, who was crucified? He is risen!” Then the angel commissioned the women to become Jesus’ first preachers: “Go, tell the men that he has already gone back to Galilee. There you will meet him.”

            It was a typically Jesus sort of moment, with people thinking they were coming close to where Jesus was resting only to be told to “Go!” somewhere else. Jesus is God in motion, on the road, constantly going somewhere, often where he is not invited. Jesus was warned by his disciples not to go to Jerusalem, but Jesus, ever the bold traveler, did not let danger deter him, with predictable results. And now, on the first Easter morning, death cannot daunt his mission. Jesus is once again on the move.

Pastor’s Page

            The other day in Confirmation Class we talked about how we know that God is with us. What are the clues? Where is the proof? What do we point to as evidence of the presence of God in our world, our lives, our church or our community?

            This is an intriguing question to ponder as we make our way into and through the season of Lent. So often we feel the need to “take up something more” to do during these few weeks (even though we talk about “giving something up”). And as a result, we find ourselves missing the signs that God provides for us of His love, His care or His presence.

            On one of the internet discussion groups, the following was sent. It certainly made me stop and think – and I hope it will for you as well.

"A person whispered," God, speak to me" and a meadowlark sang. But, the person did not hear.

So they yelled,"God, speak to me" and the thunder rolled across the sky. But, they did not listen.

The person looked around and said, "God, let me see you" and a star shone brightly. But, the person did not notice.

The person cried, "God, I need your help!"  And an e-mail arrived reaching out with good news and encouragement. but, the person deleted it and moved to the next one

 Then they shouted, "God show me a miracle" and a life was born. But, the person did not know.

 So, they cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me know you are here."

 Whereupon God reached down and touched them. But, they brushed the butterfly away, and walked on.

            During our Lenten season, I urge you to take the time, whether in worship, in study and reflection, while making your way through life, to look for the presence and activity of God with you and with us. No doubt, you may be surprised. And, no doubt, you will certainly be blessed!

Pastor’s Page

Trust in the Lord at all times

and do not rely on your own strength.

In all your ways acknowledge Him

and He will make straight your ways.

Proverbs 3:3-6

Whether it be forecasting the weather, the football playoffs, the trade possibilities for baseball teams or the economic solutions, it has been most interesting listening to the various prognostications for the new year. Everyone, including me, has an opinion, idea, theory or viewpoint about what “might” or “could” happen.

Yet, how many of the so-called “experts” come to the end of the year and say “well, you know, I was only correct 25% of the time?”  The reality is that even those who offer the best guesses are never correct all of the time.

As we move into a new year, it seems that many are approaching 2009 with a bit more fear, apprehension, uncertainty and anxiety than in other times in more recent memory.  That upon which we thought we could rely, that which had always been there, that which had given us a sense of security has unexpectedly become not quite as reliable and quite a bit more unpredictable.

As a result, we find ourselves thrust into situations for which we may not feel prepared and wondering if decisions to be made will be the correct ones. And we wonder what’s next?

So, what’s ahead in this new year for us? For the Portage Presbyterian Church community? For the world?

Here’s how I see it … in my expert opinion … ok, are you ready? … here it is …

“I do not know!”

That’s it! While this “answer” may not be a surprise to some and to others it may not be very comforting, this is the reality! I do not know what lies ahead. But, this does not mean that I have lost hope or that things will never change for the better.

For this is what I do know: in life and in death, I can rely on the mercy, the grace, the love, the provision and the peace of God that is promised for those who trust in Him. Despite what seems to be a widespread notion, I do not believe that our refuge, our peace, our hope nor all of our answers will be found in political propositions, in what “we” can or cannot do, in popular theories or with who has the loudest voice. Instead, it is through our relationship with God that we will find our way through this wilderness time, that we will discover our “ways made straight.”

No, I do not know what is going to happen. But, I do know “who” is with me and with us as we continue on our journey of life and faith, as we continue to do the work and mission to which we have been called, as we continue to follow and trust and proclaim God’s good news.

When it comes right down to it, in whom would we rather put our trust?

Now, here’s a question for which I do have an answer – the God who created the heavens and the earth; the God who revealed Himself in and through Jesus Christ; the God who through Christ redeems the world; the God, who through the work and presence of the Holy Spirit, continues to empower, guide and inspire God’s people and God’s church; the God who calls His people to new life.

When one thinks about this, with all of the opinions, theories and ideas out there, what better time could there to be the Church of Jesus Christ offering and living the message of God’s hope, peace, love, redemption and compassion?

Yes, it is an anxious and unsettled time in our lives and in our society. Yet, I also look forward to seeing how and where God will be at work during these times and circumstances in and through His Church, His people, you and me.

May we together seek the presence, peace and provision of God as we go through this new year. And may we have the faith to dare to follow – and to trust.

Pastor’s Page

            I share with you this writing by an internet colleague titled “What Do I Want For Christmas?” However, I believe this “wish list” extends beyond Christmas and into a new year. As it has been noted, I could not have said it better myself – so I didn’t!

            Every year around Thanksgiving I do believe, my family insists that we put together a Christmas list and share it with each other. I always have a difficult time doing this. My needs are very practical, not very “Christmas–y.” But what I “want” is much different than what any one family member can give to me. You see, I want to be one of the shepherds.

            What do I want for Christmas? In the midst of what usually is a very predictable Christmas, I want to be surprised by angelic announcements. I want just a glimpse of the glory of the Lord on this silent, familiar-story sort of a night. I want to be calmed by “fear nots” and I want to find myself holding my breath for a moment at the sounds of a heavenly host chorus. I want to be one of the shepherds.

            What do I want for Christmas? I want to hurry to Bethlehem, hurry down the hillside much like I ran down the hillsides when I was a child. You know, running so fast that feet sometimes outrun bodies. I want to hurry to Bethlehem with spontaneity, no Christmas planning involved. I want to write on my Christmas things to do list, “run to see Jesus.” I want to run to Bethlehem to see the One whose birth the angels sing. I want to be one of the shepherds.

            What do I want for Christmas? I want to kneel at the manger and realize that God has brought me there and has asked me to soak in the sights, the smells, the night air, the infant cries, the faithful parents and that first birth announcement. I want to kneel for a moment in awe and wonder and recognition that God’s long awaited Promise is before me. I want to be overwhelmed at God’s Love. I want to squint at the Light that has come into this dark world. I want to be lost in the wonder of it all, that God has indeed come into our world. I want to be one of the shepherds.

            What do I want for Christmas? I know that I must return to my “hillside,” to my job and my routines. But I want to return from looking heavenward, from running toward the manger, from kneeling at just the thought of being in the presence of the Messiah, to a different sameness. I want to return to my world, to my hillside, glorifying and praising God for all things that I have seen and heard this Christmas. I want to be so taken aback by it all that I can’t help but share what I know with others. I want to be one of the shepherds.

            What do I want for Christmas? I want company on the hillside on this most holy of nights. I want other “shepherds” with me, privy to the angelic announcement, glimpsing the glory of the Lord, running toward the manger with me. I want to kneel in prayer and praise and wonder and know that this “promise kept,” the Messiah, the Savior is not only for me, but for all. I want us to walk back to our own “hillsides” together, changed forever. I want to be a shepherd – and I want us to be shepherds together.

Pastor’s Page

As is usually the case in the church community this time of the year, life becomes very busy. Take a look at our church calendar for November and December, and you will discover many good, inspirational and fun activities and events. And I hope that you will be able to enjoy many of them.

Yes, we here at PPC are indeed a busy and active bunch. And that’s good, right? After all, my grandmother used to say that “if one is busy, there is less chance to get in trouble” (not that this would be a problem!). Yet, there is also an inherent risk with all of this busyness.

The risk in being so busy, of having our time so occupied, of having our minds so full of activity, is that we can forget or neglect to recognize the One upon whom all of this activity, worship, fellowship and fun is centered - God.

            Think about it – how many times have we heard people say “I’m sure going to be glad when the holidays are over?” Life becomes so demanding, so hurried, so scattered, so busy that that which should be enjoyed, encouraging and inspirational only ends up draining our energy and enthusiasm.

            In those kinds of times, experiences and circumstances, it is important for us to stop and look for those times and occasions which will interrupt and remind us what this time of the year is really all about.

            On Sunday, November 23 we will have a wonderful opportunity to be “interrupted and reminded” as we gather for our “thanksgiving worship service” on “Stewardship Sunday.” This will be an opportunity to reflect on the ways in which God has blessed us as His people and as His church community. We will be given a chance to be reminded of how God has used the PPC community to be a blessing to others here and out into the world. And we will be challenged to respond to what God has done and to what God is doing in our lives and in the live of this church community.

            So, come and enjoy the activities, gatherings and busyness here at PPC in the next couple of months. And let’s give thanks to the God who provides us the “reasons for the season.”

PASTOR'S ARTICLE

            Something I came across the other day - "The ABC's of Friendship." I thought of this in terms of both "being" a friend and "having" having a friend. I share it with you for your consideration.

            A friend ....

            Accepts you as you are

            Believes in you

            Calls just to say "hi!"

            Doesn't give up on you

            Envisions the whole of you (even the unfinished and imperfect parts)

            Forgives mistakes

            Gives unconditionally

            Helps you

            Invites you over

            Just likes to "hang out" with you

            Keeps you close at heart

            Loves you for who you are

            Makes a difference in your life

            Never judges

            Offers support

            Prays for you

            Quiets your fears

            Raises your spirits

            Says nice things about you (even when you are not there)

            Tells you the truth when you need to hear it

            Understands you

            Values you

            Walks beside you

            X-plains things you may not understand

            Yells when you won't listen

            Zaps you back into reality.

PASTOR'S ARTICLE

            Having journeyed with the Presbytery's "Mission-Vision Task Force" over the last 18 months and more recently making my way through my time of "silence," I was reminded that dreams and visions are not merely some type of extrasensory phenomenon. These are ways and means that God provides for us, individually and congregationally, to "reconnect" with the God who has given us life, to "remember" who God has called us to be, to "renew" our sense of purpose and direction, to be "re-energized" with the power of God's Holy Spirit and to be "reminded" who it is that empowers and enables effective ministry in, through and with us.

            In the Biblical scriptures, we read of "dreams and visions" playing a vital role in the lives of many and varied folks such as Joseph in Egypt, Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Abram, Joseph of Nazareth, the "wise men," Ananias, Peter and Cornelius.

            Three important things stand out with the Scriptural accounts of "dreams and visions" - that this is God's vision for the faith community and for the larger community; that God's vision is worked through God's people; and that God's people have to discern (to discover) what God's vision might be.

            Therefore, the question for us is not about what "I" think needs to be done or purchasing the next "can't miss" program that arrives in the mail or  trying to replicate what someone else is doing.

            No, the question that needs to be asked is  much more challenging and risky - "what is God calling us to do or to be?"

            However, we do not only need to ask the question. We also need to seek and listen for the answer, trusting that God will provide an answer.

            Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us that we are to "trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths." 

            Therefore, with this Scripture in mind, I invite  and encourage you to ask and pray the question of what God is calling us to be and to do. And then be sure to listen. I am excited to see what God will do in, through and for us as His people and as His Church.