I'm taking the next couple of days away from the office to pray, study, and vision for the upcoming conference year here at the church. I feel like I am running in circles and need to get focused. I'd invite you to join me in this endeavor (even if it's just an hour)to discern God's will for us as a church as well as individuals. If God impresses some thoughts, ideas, or specific direction, please contact me. I will be sharing what God lays upon my heart with you as time goes on.
Serving together,
P.R.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Monday, May 22, 2006
YEARLY GET-TOGETHER
Tuesday morning I leave for Salina for the rest of the week for Annual Conference - our yearly gathering of clergy and laity to cuss and discuss the ministry for the upcoming year. I always enjoy seeing some of my buddies I havn't seen for some time. I don't foresee any major issues to cause a disruption amongst us however that remains to be seen.
I am the president of the renewal group for Kansas and am in charge of our banquet on Thursday evening at Grand Avenue UMC. My good friend Steve Rankin will be speaking. Hope some of you out there can be there.
Barring anything crazy we will be appointed to our 6th year at Leoti. Looking forward to another year. It promises to be exciting, I'm sure.
On Friday at noon I have to book it for Denver for a wedding rehearsal of a college classmate of Todd's so I will meet M.L. at I-70 somewhere and head for denver. The wedding will be Saturday night after which we will head back for Leoti in the wee hours of the morning so i can preach. ( Craig, be on standby). (As if he'll read this).
Anyways, a busy week ahead. Never a dull moment. Later - P.R.
I am the president of the renewal group for Kansas and am in charge of our banquet on Thursday evening at Grand Avenue UMC. My good friend Steve Rankin will be speaking. Hope some of you out there can be there.
Barring anything crazy we will be appointed to our 6th year at Leoti. Looking forward to another year. It promises to be exciting, I'm sure.
On Friday at noon I have to book it for Denver for a wedding rehearsal of a college classmate of Todd's so I will meet M.L. at I-70 somewhere and head for denver. The wedding will be Saturday night after which we will head back for Leoti in the wee hours of the morning so i can preach. ( Craig, be on standby). (As if he'll read this).
Anyways, a busy week ahead. Never a dull moment. Later - P.R.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Graduation time!
I just went to my wife's nephew's graduation last Saturday and will attend our local high school graduation this Saturday followed by the 8th grader's graduation on Monday. Definitely a busy time of the year. Unfortunately for many, graduation becomes an end, instead a means to an end. It's as if "I've arrived". Well, maybe there is an arrival, but only for that particular moment. For 8th graders, it's on to high school. For high schoolers, it's on to college or the work place. The bottom line is that graduation is merely passing on from one stage of experience to another. Yes, it's good to celebrate the moment, but if you only stay there, you've not really learned a thing.
The same holds true in our Christian walk. Many think that accepting Christ as Savior is the end all, be all. In reality, it's only the beginning of a maturing process as it pertains to a relationship with God. Should you stop growing in the faith, you might want to ask whether it is really faith at all. It would be like asking a child to stay at the age of 1 year for the rest of his life. After all, he's been born, he's passed from the sitting and crawling stage to that of standing and walking. But he's still only 1 year old. He still has a long way to go.
We as Christians still have a long way to go. We're to continue to move forward in our faith, to move from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity. Let's not stop with accepting Jesus as our Savior. Let's graduate to making Him be our Lord as well.
The same holds true in our Christian walk. Many think that accepting Christ as Savior is the end all, be all. In reality, it's only the beginning of a maturing process as it pertains to a relationship with God. Should you stop growing in the faith, you might want to ask whether it is really faith at all. It would be like asking a child to stay at the age of 1 year for the rest of his life. After all, he's been born, he's passed from the sitting and crawling stage to that of standing and walking. But he's still only 1 year old. He still has a long way to go.
We as Christians still have a long way to go. We're to continue to move forward in our faith, to move from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity. Let's not stop with accepting Jesus as our Savior. Let's graduate to making Him be our Lord as well.
Friday, May 05, 2006
duh vinchee coat
Have you noticed all the hub bub concerning the upcoming Da Vinci Code movie? Man, you'd think the world was going to end or something. Now I must confess, anytime you mess with Jesus in a book, be it fiction or non-fiction, you better not be the cause of someone to stumble. Jesus was clear about that in The Book. I'm always leery of the effects that a book like Ken Brown's (the author) can have on people, especially those who are ignorant regarding Christianity.
But that aside, what's with all the Christians who are scared to death of the book or books like it? I listened to Dobson a little last week and all he did was whine and complain and I ask myself, " Does he realize who the victor is in all of this?" Jesus has already won the victory and that is eternal truth. But listening to Dobson and other Christian leaders, you'd think we'd have the lost and must high tail it to the hills. Come on! Jesus does not have to be defended. The Bible does not have to be defended. Truth stands on its own and wins every time. That's not to say that we are not to be able to defend what we believe or be able to articulate it. But for crying out loud, The Da Vinci Code will be here today and gone tomorrow. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is eternal God and His Word stands forever. You can take that to the bank.
I've read Brown's book. It's view of Jesus is purely heresy but I'm not scared of the book. However, I do fear God and and know that one day we must all stand before Him and give an account, especially as it relates to how we responded to his son Jesus. Responding to Dan Brown is one thing. Responding to the God of the universe is quite another.
But that aside, what's with all the Christians who are scared to death of the book or books like it? I listened to Dobson a little last week and all he did was whine and complain and I ask myself, " Does he realize who the victor is in all of this?" Jesus has already won the victory and that is eternal truth. But listening to Dobson and other Christian leaders, you'd think we'd have the lost and must high tail it to the hills. Come on! Jesus does not have to be defended. The Bible does not have to be defended. Truth stands on its own and wins every time. That's not to say that we are not to be able to defend what we believe or be able to articulate it. But for crying out loud, The Da Vinci Code will be here today and gone tomorrow. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is eternal God and His Word stands forever. You can take that to the bank.
I've read Brown's book. It's view of Jesus is purely heresy but I'm not scared of the book. However, I do fear God and and know that one day we must all stand before Him and give an account, especially as it relates to how we responded to his son Jesus. Responding to Dan Brown is one thing. Responding to the God of the universe is quite another.
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