RICK'S RAMBLINGS

Well, believe it or not, our littlest turned 17 this past Wednesday. Happy Birthday Kyle - we love you!

As I write this, the snow is coming down like crazy. Here we go again. This is April isn't it????

Did you know today is Friday the 13th? Anyone nervous??

Once again, I am reminded of how blessed we are in our family. We have 3 great boys and 2 wonderful daughter-in-laws. Life is good!

By the way, I may have mentioned that I am going to be a grandpa - but get this - IT'S A BOY!!

Imagine that. Eric just (Eric Just, get it?) called and said they found out that a boy is on the way. Another generation of Justs - look out!

Received word that I am going to be the assistant spiritual director for the Walk to Emmaus this fall. I hope some of you will prayerfully consider going. I'll be in touch or give me a call if interested.

Gotta run - tax day is biting on our heels. Ouch, ouch,ouch...............................

AWESOME EASTER WEEKEND!!!

Wow! What a great Holy week and Easter weekend! Yes, it was busy but the Lord blessed the week and the activities that enabled us to focus on the true meaning of Easter, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. You'll notice the handwashing that occurred during the Seder service, the kids reaching for the little ducks in the pool during the Saturday celebration, the youth who read scripture continuously (35 hours) in the sanctuary from Friday at 8 pm to 7 am on Sunday morning, and Craig leading the sunrise service early on Easter Sunday. Thanks to all who participated. It was absolutely wonderful. And the worship service on Sunday was filled with excitement as we celebrated the resurrected King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Yes - JESUS - That's my King!!

HOLY WEEK (WEAK)??

With regards to the Christian calendar, Easter is as good as it gets - the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As the apostle Paul says, "Where O death is your victory? Where O death is your sting? But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ". Good stuff.

But here's the struggle. There is so much going on during Holy Week that by the time it gets to Easter, people can be so worn out that they hardly feel like celebrating. At least I'll speak for myself. After all, I spoke at the Lenten lunch at noon today, helped with God Squad tonight followed by a meeting. Tomorrow night is the Seder service and Friday night is the Good Friday service. Saturday morning is the children's Easter celebration at the church coinciding with the youth conducting a scripture reading vigil Friday night through early Sunday morning. And then of course is the big day - Easter Sunday which begins with a sunrise service followed by a breakfast in the fellowship hall at church. Sunday School will be at 9:45 with the big celebration taking place during worship at 11:00. There are some neat surprises planned during that time so I hope you can come if you are in the area.

I love all of the previously mentioned activities but boy, is it a busy time. The tendency can be to get so wrapped up in all the stuff that the stuff that matters most gets overlooked. I don't want to fall into that trap.

So, pray for me and I'll pray for you that we are ready for what God has in store for us during this most holy of weeks. HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

STUFF AND MORE STUFF!

• For you locals- don't forget to vote regarding the school bond issue. For me, I don't see any other option than to support the board and their research. Whatever your choice, go and vote.
• By the way- did I mention I was going to be a grandpa? (17 1/2 weeks in the womb)
• Congratulations to Alice Summers - 96 years young. (Still sharp as a tack)
• A little bragging on Kyle who took 1st in the javelin, 2nd in discus, 2nd in the shot put, and his "weight" relay took first at the Tribune track meet on Tuesday. Not bad, huh?
• Whose idea was it to bring Krispy Creme donuts to the local grocery store? Like I need a dozen of those?
• Congrats to our middle son and his wife for the buying of a new house in Topeka. I don't even have a house to call my own. (Thankfully the church owns a great parsonage).
• Anyone have a decent car in the 4,000-5,000 dollar range? I know of someone who is looking.
• How about all this moisture we've been getting? Are we sure this is western Kansas? What a blessing.
• Pray for my brother Randy - depression is rearing its ugly head again. Thanks.
• Palm Sunday is this coming Sunday with Easter a week away. Are we ready to celebrate the resurrection or are we falling asleep like the disciples did the night Jesus prayed in the garden? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

God is good, all the time! All the time, God is good!

CLICKING MY HEELS!

Well, today is my last blog from Georgia. It has been an awesome time. Last night the Spirit fell upon the group in a powerful way. Ask me about it when I get back. I don't have enough space to explain.

The picture of the palm trees are just before sunset looking west from where we were meeting. Pretty cool, huh? The other picture is of Bishop Paulo Lockman and his wife Glasia, from Brazil. He is the Director of World missions with the World Methodist Council. I got to spend and hour and a half with him today. Great story.

Tomorrow morning I click my heels and head back to the flatlands. Pray all will go well with the travel. See you soon. P.R.

PRAYER AND PRAISE!!

We are having a wonderful time at the conference in prayer and praise. The little chapel you see is a prayer chapel constructed by the Methodist men of the south Georgia Conference and is located at Epworth By the Sea (where the conference is being held). The picture of me is overlooking the Atlantic Ocean near a lighthouse along the beach of St. Simon's Island. I went to the village with some friends M.L. and I met in 1998 from Texas and Pennsylvania. The worship and study today has been fabulous and I am getting ready to go and listen to the South American regional secretary from Brazil speak in about 20 minutes. I spoke with him last night and he had quite a story of the hastle of getting here from Brazil through Atlanta. He's a great guy and the Lord really is working through him. The weather is absolutely beautiful, not even humid. Wow! I hope to update you tomorrow.

God is good!! Later - P.R.

ALONG THE SEASHORE

As you can see, the sunset is beautiful as the day comes to a close on Monday. I am on St. Simon's Island looking west to Georgia. The church is a chapel replica of the Lovely Lane Chapel where John Wesley conducted the Christmas Conference in the 1700's. We take Holy Communion in the chapel each morning at 7:15. The conference has been a blessing thus far, just as I expected. God is indeed good.

I'll try and keep you posted. Blessings!

GEORGIA ON MY MIND!

Well, I guess someone has to do it. I'm preparing to leave for

Saint Simon's Island off the coast of Georgia early Monday morning for a conference with the World Methodist Council on Evangelism. It is a reunion with those who are a part of the Order of the Flame (Faithful Leaders as Mission Evangelists) within Methodism. We will be hearing from leaders from around the world regarding the work that God is doing in and through His people. Historically this is an area where John Wesley came from England to evangelize the Indians but was not very successful. You can read about it in his journals (as if you will).

Sadly my wife will not be going with me (saving days to spend with the little grandbaby when he/she (they) arrives). That's the only downside to the trip.

I understand there is wireless internet at the site so I'll try and take a picture or two and put on the blog during the week to keep you updated. In between pictures and speakers I may have to eat a few grits. (Remember, you don't order a grit. They don't come by themselves).

Pray for safety on the road and in the air as well as flight being on time. Traveling can be great but also can be a real pain. Which it will be is yet to be seen.

Carry on.

STICKS, BRANCHES, AND LIMBS

As you can see, a bunch of the guys from the church did a little outreach ministry Saturday morning removing broken down limbs and branches that were on the ground following the recent winter storms. Several of the men had chain saws and put them to good use while others loaded trailers and hauled it all off to the dump. A lot was accomplished as many yards were cleaned up, especially for those who were unable to do it themselves.

As you can see, one of our youth worked so hard he ended up falling in exhaustion on to the hiway in front of the Templers. We kept the traffic from running over him while he regained his strength although at times we were tempted to see if a car could actually knock a little sense into him.

Anyway, it was a good morning and it felt good to help out in the community as we try to bring to completion this crazy winter. Thanks to all you guys and to the youth who helped. You know who you are.

WICHITA (not the county)

I am currently sitting in a motel room in Wichita preparing for some meetings I have with the Board of Ordained Ministry tomorrow and Tuesday, My buddy Mitch is attempting to read some material as well ( I think he is falling asleep, however).

Boy, I tell you, this Super 8 sure is fancy - it even has running water.

Oh, sorry I got diverted. We are meeting with some of the upcoming candidates for ordained ministry for our conference and anticipate a busy couple of days. Keep us and those being interviewed in your prayers.

It was a great morning in church this morning (at least I thought so). What did you think? And for those of you in Shad's class, what are your thoughts? (Orthodoxy, sacraments, apostolic succession, etc. etc).

For those of you not from our community, what did God have to say to you this past weekend? Did He bless you in worship? Did you bless Him? What spoke to you? Prayer time, the music, the sermon, the fellowship with other believers? Let me know - I'm interested.

End Of The Week Stuff

JUST a few thoughts as we head into the weekend:

Wow, it's amazing to see how many men show up on a Friday morning at 6:30 when biscuits and gravy are on the menu. What a great time we had. By the way, we are going to do some community cleanup next Saturday (the 10th) following the mess the winter storms have left behind. If you'd like to help, meet at the church at 1:00 p.m.

Sadly the basketball season for the boys and the girls at the high school is over. It was a lot of fun even though the records were not what we had hoped. Sorry I yelled so much. I'm working on it. By the way, Kyle, you done real good this year!

Todd and I just registered for the Emergence Conference 2007 this April in Austin Texas. It will be led by a friend of ours and also a great N.T. scholar, professor, and all around good guy, Scot McKnight. We are hoping to get together with him after the Friday night meeting just to catch up (old Chicago days).

Need I remind you to pray for our Jr and Sr high kids? Enough said.

Oh yes, lest we forget, the church does not exist for itself. There are so many who have yet to be touched by the love of God through a saving relationship with his Son Jesus. Who will tell them or show them unless it's us?

And last but not least, did I tell you I was going to be a grandpa?? (Just checking)

A WIDE DOOR.........

The apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church in Corinth wanting them to know of his love for them and his desire to come and see them again. However, as he was in Ephesus, a WIDE DOOR for effective ministry had opened up to him so he stayed and ministered in Ephesus for a long period of time. This past weekend a wide door opened up to me and my wife that enabled us to minister to some folks in deep need.

First, on Friday I was contacted by a man who resides south of Mexico City, Mexico who teaches English in a school down there. To make a long story short, he ended up here in Leoti after the man he was riding with got mad at him (the man had been drinking). He dumped him out on hiway 96, and drove away (heading for Kansas City). The bottom line is he was in Kansas, 4 days from his home, had 8 dollars to his name, had no credit card and needed to get back home. Without going into details, I checked him out with the law, all was fine, drove him to Garden, connected him to a Mexican bus line, was able to refer him to a shelter in Garden, and was able to procure a bus ticket. A crazy day but it was amazing how the pieces fell together.

Unfortunately, Saturday was a more difficult day. We were hit with a white out blizzard west of town that left a man dead due to a series of vehicle accidents. I spent the afternoon at the hospital with the wife of the man as the staff at the hospital worked tirelessly to keep the man alive in E.R. Unfortunately the injuries were too severe and the man died leaving his wife here in a small town, 14 hours from her home, her friends, and her family. As God would have it, my wife called me during the ordeal and offered our house to the wife instead of the local motel so she could have a place to stay and someone to talk to. She accepted the offer and as a result we were able to help her with the logistics of working with law enforcement, the funeral homes (both locally and from the state she was from), the hospital staff, and a variety of phone calls. Most importantly, we were able to provide her with a place to cry, to talk, to feel safe, to feel loved and cared for. (Thanks a million to Mary Lou). As family arrived the next morning we were able to help them as well.

The bottom line is a wide door for effective ministry had opened up to us over the weekend. Sometimes the door is no fun to walk through but out of obedience we must do so. As a result, several families were ministered to, including our own. So as we begin a new week, there are many doors that the Lord will open for you. Will you walk through them?

P.S. The local EMTs, fire department, and hospital staff did a great job. they are to be commended. If you're local and reading this, let them know how much you appreciate them.

ASHES TO ASHES

Today is Ash Wednesday which begins the Lenten journey to the cross these next forty days. Here in Leoti the Ministerial Alliance hosts a Lenten Luncheon at the various churches which brings the community of faith together to help us focus on our need for God as well as our preparation for the celebration of the resurrection. It is a wonderful opportunity for the various traditions of the Christian faith to gather together in fellowship, as well as to be challenged by meditations given by the local ministers of the community. We also receive a free-will offering which goes to help needs of the less fortunate, both local and those traveling through.

Tonight our church will hold an Ash Wednesday service where ashes once again will be placed on the foreheads of those in attendence to remind us of our own mortality and our need to "repent" or turn back to God. The mood is much more somber and reflective (as it should be) for we cannot celebrate the joy of the resurrection without first coming to grips with the suffering on the cross. Without the cross there is no resurrection.

Now I do want us to be careful that we don't lose sight of the empty tomb while on the Lenten journey. Sometimes folks get so focused on what they "give up" for Lent that they act as if they are on a pity pot or want every one to feel sorry for them. That's why Sundays are not a part of the forty days. They are "little Easters" along the way to remind us that we are a people of hope.

So as we begin this journey together, it is my prayer that we take seriously what Christ did for us that we might be forgiven, cleansed, and restored to the Father. And may we seriously reflect upon where we are on the journey and what Christ is asking of us that we might share in both the struggles, as well as the victories that lie ahead.

"Repent, and believe the gospel".

CHRISTIANS AND COWS!

I realize that the picture of this calf reflects a nice warm day without snow and ice, but this is a calf in heaven.

Anyways, I was talking to some guys today and one of them mentioned how he could just walk through his herd and tell you which heifer was going to calve within the next day, which cow needed some medical attention, which calf needed to be taken to the barn or what kind or how much feed certain ones needed. This was because he had "trained" himself to observe the signs. He had spent time with his cattle and just by paying attention, he knew what he had to do to meet the needs of the herd under his care.

It hit me that that we as Christians need to do a much better job of paying attention to the signs of what is going on in the lives of those around us. If someone is hurting, do we know it? If someone is struggling, do we respond? If someone is rejoicing, do we enter into that joy with them? Too often the answer to these questions is "no". Are we just not paying attention?

Maybe it would behoove (nice word) us to slow it down a little and turn up the frequency on our spiritual antennas. Maybe we need to listen more, open our eyes more, and observe what is really going on around us. Who's to say that we can't learn a few things from a cowboy?

JUST call me Grandpa!

I was wondering why Eric and Andrea were smiling at Christmas - they knew that a little (and I mean little) one was on the way. So of course that means M.L. and I are going to be grandparents. How awesome is that? I know, I know - it's hard for you to believe that people as "young" as us could possibly be grandpa and grandma but you're just going to have to deal with it. We're having no problem grasping the reality of the situation.

Anyways, come September another "Just" will be added to the crew. Can't wait! Congrats A&E.

EVERYBODY'S WIERD!!

This Sunday I will begin a series pertaining to imperfect people like you and me and how we can enter into community with other imperfect people. The series is based upon a book by John Ortberg entitled Everybody's Normal Till you Get to Know Them. We will start in Genesis ("beginning") because it is there that we see God working through a bunch of people that most would not give the time of day - liars, murderers, cheaters, deceivers, etc. As Ortberg says, "The writer of Scripture is trying to establish a deep theological truth: everybody's wierd.

Lest you think you are exempt from wierdness, take a look in the mirror. Think about your life, your skeletons in the closet, your latest mishap this week. Aha, caught you being wierd. Wierdness seems to be the norm, doesn't it?

However, God has a plan to bring us back to normality and we all are a part of that plan. So stay tuned. If you think you are too wierd, or you think somebody else is too wierd to be a part of God's community of faith, then join us this Sunday as a bunch of wierd people try to make sense of this thing we call Christianity. (Wierd, huh?)

PLAY IT AGAIN!

Some of you wanted to see the snowplow video clip I used from this morning's sermon again. If so, e-mail me and I'll send it your way. LOOK OUT FOR THE SNOW!!! Ah, the blizzards of life.

P.R.

FORSAKE NOT THE GATHERING........

FINALLY! Tomorrow we gather once again for worship in our sanctuary after having to cancel our services twice this month due to inclement weather. I don't know about you but when I miss going to church, the week (not to mention the day) just isn't the same. Oh, both times we took some time for worship in our home, but I missed being with the community of faith.

I realize many people aren't regular Sunday go-to-meetin folks, but I don't know how they can stand it. It just doesn't feel right not to be in church when it's Sunday. There's just a void that only God and His people can fill that takes place when worshiping together.

Anyway, I hope to see a crowd tomorrow. If you aren't from this area, I pray you take the time to worship with your local body of Christ in the church of your choice.

P.S. If it decides to snow, I pray it starts in the afternoon on Sunday. Fair enough??

P.S.S. Comments are more than welcome.

The future of the church??

Well, here they are. The latest confirmation graduates and newest members of the church. Does it scare you or excite you? As for me, I'm in their corner. What a great bunch! What say you??

Going TO church or being THE church??

Tomorrow we will celebrate with 5 of our youth their becoming members of our local body of the church. They will be 'confirmed" during the service and will publicly profess their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (at least what that means for them at this juncture in their lives). They will then make vows of membership to God and to the church regarding their desire to walk in accordance to God's will, as well as become a part of the community of faith who seeks to rejoice and mourn, laugh and cry, TOGETHER.
As always, my concern is that we just go through the motions, pat them on the back, eat a meal with them, and then send them on their merry way, leaving them to fend for themselves in this crazy high pressure world we live in. Oh, we can meet each week together in church, (which is biblical and essential), but I just wonder how we can BE the church to them.
Will we pray for them? Will we go to their ball games and support them? Will we be there for them when they stumble? Will we give of our time to teach, to make cookies, to shoot hoops, to chaperone, to listen, to attempt to offer some stability in an unstable world? I certainly hope so.
Just because these kids are joining the church tomorrow doesn't mean it is the starting point for them. God has been at work in their lives prior to their even being born. It's just that tomorrow is a spiritual marker that highlights an important time that He is at work in their lives. And it provides those of us who have been a part of the church for some time, an opportunity and privilege to welcome them into something far greater than an institution, but a family, a community of faith. So let's not just go through the motions on Sunday, let's be the "alive and well" body of Christ that joins with these kids on this faith journey we call life.