Pastor's Blog

Step away from those wimpy bags, M'am.

2011-09-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

I finally figured out that the fabric bags people keep handing out… the ones with their logos on them… are supposed to be grocery bags. Not sure what took me so long to get “with it” but better late than never. So, in an attempt to stop hoarding those lame and wimpy plastic bags, I decided to really use those fabric bags when going to the store. I have never done this before. I was so dedicated to this idea that I put several fabric bags in the back seat of the car to be sure I had them. Great idea, in theory, that is. I was hoping this would operate like the giant freezer storage bag that’s in my trunk for when I go to Sam’s Club and have frozen food or meat and I am not able to make it home right away; keep the bag in the car and you’ll have it to use when you need it. Right?

Thus far, the score is about 7 to 0. That is, out of seven trips to the grocery store I have yet to use a single fabric bag. And this occurs to me when I put my groceries, in the lame and wimpy plastic bags, into the back seat of the car right on top of the pile of fabric bags. How effective is this?

At the same time it has occurred to me that this could become a study in that dreaded word: change. I am now walking in lock-step with the way I’ve always done it for years and years. I have, at the same time, attempted to set myself up to behave in a different way (fabric bags in car), seeing the wisdom of the “new thing,” but I continue my lock-step march toward hoarding more and more wimpy plastic bags. This is just absurd.

Using those wimpy plastic bags will not be the death of anyone. But making the change sure seems smarter, and it also guarantees I won’t end up on the show Hoarders because I have A LOT of those bags hanging around here. And even though I’ve gotten good at “re-using” those, I still see the wisdom in the next logical step: fabric bags.

It makes me think of the church and a favorite excuse for not making changes we know will be for our own good (and hopefully the good of others): We’ve never done it that way before. Some say those are the seven last words of a dying church. This is a lot more serious than my issue with fabric grocery bags.

But it reminds me that change can be tricky. Change can be resisted even unintentionally. Which brings to mind my final point: the fabric bags need to be moved from the back seat to the front seat. Perhaps when the intended change is front and center… I’ll remember to seize the day and grab the fabric bag before heading into the store.

Confession of a Negligent Blogger... and news....

2011-09-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

By definition, I think blogging in the blog-o-sphere means you post really regularly because time online goes event fast than time in the real world, right? That makes about as much sense as how times goes fast the older we get. That, I finally nailed down. You see, if you are 10 years old, one year is one-tenth of your life; whereas if you are 40 years old, one year is 1/40^th of your life. It is a much smaller slice of life and therefore it “feels” quicker. Get it?

So, in reality, it really hasn’t “FELT” like I haven’t blogged in a while because I am more than 10 years old. But, I apologize none-the-less.

Now, to reward you for reading through this nonsense… I will offer this:

On the Threshold of Soup Kitchen

Attica United Methodist is just a step or two away from Soup Kitchen final approval from the Health Department. That being said, I say, “For such a time as this, Lord?” With the State of Michigan poised to cut families off from support on October 1, our group of faithful servants hopes to be offering a community meal right around that time. We probably will start out two times a month, on the second and fourth Tuesdays… details will be announced once we pass final inspection and we etch more items in stone.

In asking the question “If your church left town, would you even be noticed,” I am pleased to reflect and remember the people who attend our Food Bank. I am excited for the faithful followers of Jesus who come regularly and serve there. And, I’m excited for the new volunteers who will take part in this new Soup Kitchen adventure.

Steps of Faith... in food ministry

2011-01-25T13:16:00.000-08:00

The disciples at Attica United Methodist Church are on a new adventure… an adventure to expand our food ministry.

We began about two years ago by hosting a food truck. The need is great: 19 percent unemployment. So, we started out by hosting a Food Bank two times per month, serving about 60 people per month. That grew; and during our peak months about 140 people are served. And this is amazing in our township of under 5,000 people.

Other needs continue to challenge us and we respond. Two of our disciples are now ready, willing and able to help a client sign up online for a Bridge Card (aka food stamps). Other connections are made in our community and during this past November/December the Vocational/Technical Center provided us with whole chickens to give away. Financial support has come from both far and near. Rep. Kevin Daley, an Attica guy at heart, donated funds to help us. Even our friends at the Lapeer Meijer’s helped by featuring our Food Bank and granting us funds.

And, most importantly, our clients know we are generous.

Meanwhile, one of our disciples working at the Food Bank, felt pressed by God to research what it would mean for us to take on serving a hot meal one day per week. Approved by our board to do this, she set out to connect with the local Health Department to begin a list of what it would take.

Frankly, I thought we would end up needing to do fund raisers for a few years to even get the commercial equipment required. But, God has a way of making me smile and letting me know I ought not to take myself too blasted seriously. God also has a way of reminding me WHO is in charge. (And it certainly is NOT the Pastor at Attica United Methodist!)

Lo and behold our list of what is needed is short and attainable. And, in talking about our Dinner at Attica Methodist project, volunteer workers are starting emerge both from our congregation and even from other congregations!

By far, we are not the largest congregation in Lapeer County, but we certainly can do BIG THINGS, when God is in it! And perhaps part of our work is to offer to others to come alongside us and serve God’s people… and through THAT even more disciples will be made!

God has indeed cleared the way for us to begin this work and by the time all our ducks are in a row, we expect to be serving hot plates of food for dinner well before Easter!

Be blessed!

Use what you have!

2010-08-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, servants at Attica Methodist worked together to help 462 people at our food truck giveaway. For those who may not know, we do have a regular Food Bank for Attica Township resident that operates twice a month. But, we decided to sponsor a Food Truck this time. And, when you do a Food Truck, you don't get a say about what kind of food arrives in the truck.

One of our regular food bank patrons called me afterward to ask about the kinds of things he got because they seemed a bit unusual. He told me typically, with what we give him, he is able to go home and make a couple of meals. What he got from the Food Truck seemed more miscellaneous. (That was a nice way to put it!) I was glad he feels so taken care of by our Food Bank.

I have to admit, I had to scratch my head about a couple of items we got. First, there was the pallet (translate: many cases) of collard greens. One client asked what that was. When others were told what it was, they looked like nine years olds who were forced fed spinach. (You know the face.) Then, there was the pallet (translate: many cases) of crème cheese frosting. And, last but not least, were these crepe things that tasted like peanut butter and had sesame sprinkled all over them and I’m sure they go for big bucks at Trader Joe’s (fancy supermarket), but…

So, as the pastor, what do you do? And here’s where a sense of humor comes in handy… I made mention of combining the collards and the crème cheese frosting to make it all palatable? Never underestimate the power of the pastor’s words: Pat went into gear and made something as a tribute to all three unusual items – a collard, frosting wrap using the sesame crepe things. In case you think I’m making this up...

Despite the odd items, the day went well. We were blessed with some teenagers that came to help us help others. Bill showed up with a bobcat to help unload the truck. Others in the community let us borrow extra tables.

We gave what we had, and we gave almost all… collard leftovers went to some appreciative cows, and we still have a few crepes and frosting. Anyone in need of those?

Meanwhile, we are learning to be faithful with what we have… and that is what pleases God. It’s also a much healthier way to do your faith walk than sitting around lamenting what you don’t… even if some of what you have is an overabundance of collard greens, frosting and sesame crepe things.

Be blessed!

Journeys

2010-05-12T05:17:00.001-07:00

When Moses told the Israelites they were heading for the Promised Land, did the newly freed slaves of Egypt understand what Moses meant? A land flowing with milk and honey sounds great, especially when you’re busy making bricks without hay. But then, so might cheap chocolate. Or, no-brand diet cola. Almost anything would be better than the status quo.

However, I can’t believe the Israelites were that enamored with milk or honey as they stood at the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army in hot pursuit. At that moment they probably wished they had acted on their grumbling and gone back to slavery, which at least guaranteed three square meals a day AND a the satisfaction of KNOWING what was around the bend… even if that was more brick making.

And so they came face-to-face with nautical impossibility on one hand and an angry taskmaster with a multitude of chariots on the other. Why, oh why had they followed this Bozo Moses? For a little milk and honey? For the Promised Land?

What they were about to step into was unfamiliar turf, quite literally. And that wasn’t just the crossing over the Red Sea on dry land, but the trek through the wilderness. I’m always amazed that this journey could have taken a LOT LESS time than it actually did. I like finding the most direct route. But through the years of wilderness bungling and more griping and complaining, these people, these former slaves came to understand what it meant to BE God’s people.

Sometimes the journey from slavery to true freedom of the heart takes time. It can be painful, and, as one author I read recently said, “You build a bridge while you walk on it.” For those of us who are less than fond of heights, that sounds scary and unnerving. Anything out of the status quo can be.

And yet, it is while we trek in the wilderness, that God comes especially close to take us by the hand and do a marvelous work in our hearts. So, then we are able to go from slaves of the world’s desires for us to BEING God’s people. That is not an overnight transformation. Rats! But it is a journey out of our comfort zone to experience how God will be our God and how we will BE God’s people.

Let us shove aside the status quo and experience the journey! Be blessed!

Back to the Past: Accountability 102

2010-03-24T06:23:00.000-07:00

After a vacation of WONDERFUL food in New Orleans and a great time visiting my sons, one of whom cooks really well and the other who has a girlfriend who cooks really well, I think I’ve hit the wall with food. (Again.)

So, it’s back to the most successful diet I’ve ever done: writing down everything you eat and e-mailing it to a fortunate friend. When telling another friend I was doing this they said, “Just don’t write down everything you eat.” Which I thought sorta defeated the point. Whatever.

The first time I did this was when an extremely fit friend asked if I would do it with her. And I thought, hey, what could it hurt? So, I went along with this, counting every chocolate chip I shoved in my mouth (my personal recipe to keep me away from the milk chocolate).

She didn’t harass me, she didn’t scold me, she just read my daily confession of food. The only time she said much was when I wrote down that I’d eaten 2 Koegel vienna hot dogs for dinner. Which I still don’t think is criminal. Now, if I’d eater two buns with that, well that would be a different story entirely.

Not wanting to inflict this on the same person twice, I went in search of some other lucky victim. And you know what? It was tricky to find someone one willing. Mostly when I’d bring this idea up the dull silence followed by chirping crickets meant I’d struck out yet again. Finally, though, a new victim surfaced.

It makes me wonder why it’s so hard to find someone to walk with you even in this limited way. I have sought for years for a spiritual accountability partner, and by accountability partner I mean someone who is in the loop of my spiritual life in the same way as my diet life. I need someone to give me outside perspective on my spiritual growth in Christ so I stay on track much like I count my chocolate chips. (I finally have one, a spiritual friend, that is.)

If I learned anything from my first experience with accountability it’s this: we need each other far more than we realize. Not just in a surface way, but in a truly connected way. God created us to be gifts to one another. The writer of Hebrews says this way we encourage one another and will “spur one another on to love and good works.”

In this season of Lent, let us remember: Christ died for us to help connect us back with God and one of the benefits is relationship: connectedness to Jesus Christ and a special bond with one another.

Be blessed~

Waiting for those crashes...

2010-02-24T05:37:00.000-08:00

My husband is a closet NASCAR fan. Well, not any more. LOL. Obviously, I am not. Not that I have anything against NASCAR or their fans, it’s just that I don’t understand watching cars go around in a circle as fast as they can.

Sometimes I stand and watch for a minute to try and understand what I’m missing. Sometimes I use that an opportunity to ask a really dumb question, like, “What do you meant there’s M & Ms in the car? Gee, do they let them eat in the car?” My husband was clueless. I pressed him, I mean, it’s his sport, right then he should know these things. Come to find out it was the “in car camera” on the M & M car. Truly, I need a clue.

But, finally, in one swift moment, I got it and turned to my husband and say, “You are sitting here watching this and waiting for a crash to happen!” After a prolonged debate, he conceded the point, sort of.

Watching for the crashes in life is why we have to gawk at traffic accidents, no matter the size. It certainly contributes to what makes downhill skiing and cross skiing so heart pounding to watch. Why on earth do they plummet down a mountain of ice and snow (slippery stuff) at a crazy speed on two sticks? If you are successful at it and go faster than anyone else, you get the medal. If you crash, well, it makes for great cable footage. Both winners and crashers get the attention. Both survivors and those who either do or do not make it out of the wreckage of their lives, get attention.

And here’s my prayer (you knew I’d get to something like this, didn’t you?)… that our fascination for watching the crashes in life would move beyond being spectators to being the ones who help people whose lives are a wreck. I would pray that our hearts would ache to the point of action, whether that be prayer or actual face-to-face, hand-in-hand compassion.

Be blessed in the Lord this day!

What Stops you?

2010-02-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

This past week at seminary was wonderful. And I wanted to share something that really grabbed me. For some, this is a well-known story from Scripture. But our professor offered us a different place from which to view the passage. So, I took her perspective and I’ve run with it a bit. J

Jesus is using your home as a classroom and it is standing room only. Imagine, perhaps, it’s like shopping the day after Thanksgiving where everyone is after that prized possession, at a deeply discounted price.

It’s a little unnerving having so many in your home and you wonder about those outside who just might be standing in your landscaping beds when, suddenly, you hear noises and pounding from above. Then, pieces of the roof begin to rain on your head as well as on the heads of everyone trying to listen to Jesus. Oh, and on His head as well. Wow.

You’d run outside, struggling to get through the swarm of people to see exactly what is going on and, much to your dismay, there are people on the roof tearing it apart! Does homeowner’s insurance cover this sort of thing? Maybe the insurance company would view this as an act of God? Maybe not! Oh, evay!

Elbowing your way back into your house, you’d see sunshine beaming right into the living room. But then, the rays of sunlight are darkened again as the hole in the roof is covered. What on earth is going on??

Then, slowly down it comes: a person on a mat, in obvious physical need. His friends peer down as he is lowered into the center of the room, before all of us and most importantly, before the Lord Jesus Christ.

So, that leads to the question of the day: How many of us would so value getting our friend to Jesus that NOTHING would stop us?

Be blessed!

A Moment @ The Food Bank

2010-01-27T05:09:00.000-08:00

Well, that's my confession for this past Monday. I was only at the Attica Food Bank this past Monday... for a moment. I had another meeting to be at, and yes, I scheduled it for right then.

The following day I came into my office and the paperwork evidence was clear: God's people at Attica United Methodist had once again served more than 100 people in a month.

We began this little venture last spring, when hosting a Food Truck helped to reveal the need. May I say this was probably the very first and to date the ONLY traffic back up in Attica. From there we sought to do more and frankly, as the pastor, I have never seen something come together quite so wonderfully. Although, I should have known better, I've seen our congregation serve more than 600 Thanksgiving dinners so the potential is indeed there. We can indeed run like a well-oiled machine.

Add to that the fact that our Lay Leader, Frits Bax, had food bank experience in Toronto and the pastor served at Flint Eastside Mission for two years doing marketing and public relations and all the willing hands and hearts at Attica United Methodist... and the Spirit's nudge was clear. And the evidence that we responded appropriately to the Spirit's urging was also clear: a room filled with pantry items, a donated refrigerator, donated freezer, curtain on the window, sturdy steel shelves donated by Flagstar Bank. Wow. Was this pastor's heart full or what???

But there was even more evidence, evidence through people. Not only had people put together a wonderful storage room, but people continued to donate non-edible items. People donated money. People showed up in droves to help get the food and stock our pantry. Some people in the community even came and worked. And people did those lovely behind the scenes things like ordering online and turning in our reports to the Eastern Michigan Food Bank (such fun!)

And then, people came to receive and to be served. In August we served 68, September 80, October 84; and November, December and January pushed us closer to 120 each month.

So, you may ask yourself: why, were you only at the Food Bank for a moment this past Monday? If it's such a cool place to be, why did you schedule a meeting THEN? My answer is this: over a long and rather humbling journey I have learned that God's work doesn't rise and fall on my presence, but rather, it rises and falls on the Spirit's presence and leading. Who was "in charge" on Monday? God, working through God's people at Attica United Methodist!

Warning: Pastor is prone to ramble

2010-01-26T07:12:00.000-08:00

This, no doubt, will be the most uninspiring blog entry to be read. Well, some might dispute that in the future. :) Just checking out that I am able to do this... so the most profound thing I can say at the moment is... this is a test. Oh, and it's a warning that I'm prone to ramble and now I have a spot in which to do just that. Meanwhile, until my next post... be blessed!

1st post

2010-01-09T11:44:00.000-08:00

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3........