First Grade

We are all up and ready to go! Eric has on his new Bakugan T-shirt and Z-Strap sneakers. He was a little disappointed that he couldn't wear shorts, but the weather is starting a little cool for the first day so he's got jeans on. Meanwhile Kathy and I are ready to go off to CSI for the exercise trail without having to pay for a babysitter!

Eric seems excited enough, though most of his excitement is due to his new shirt and shoes so we'll have to wait until after school to find out how much of his giddiness is for school. So how are Kathy and I feeling? That's an even more difficult question. In part we are looking forward to our extremely extroverted son having interaction with more people on a daily basis, plus the bus picking up at 8 a.m. and dropping him off at 4 p.m. gives us both some quiet time. Then again, that he's on the track of speeding life along is difficult to watch as well; especially as I watch people at church with newborns and vaguely remember those days as well, but now my baby is into Bakugan and Legos instead of sleeping and messing his diaper. In other words, he's well on the way to not needing me.

Perhaps that's a little to melodramatic for the first day of First Grade. It isn't as though its his first day of college or his wedding day. But it is easy to see how fast kids grow up. That cliche hasn't meant much to me these last few years, oh sure he's grown, but his days have remained relatively the same. But not any longer, now I'll only be able to have lunch with him on Saturdays and Sundays from September through May. I guess I better not get myself in this kind of funk, Eric won't want to see anything from me but a smile and well wishes here in a few minutes--off to Elementary school!

A Hearty Thanks!

I just have to take some time-out to say thank you to a bunch of people from First Presbyterian Church, Twin Falls, Idaho. At the risk of leaving a name or two off the list, for which I am deeply sorry, I just have to say that there are several people in our congregation who have gone the extra mile and then some.

Earlier this week Harry Geist and Rick Horner braved the wilds of our sanctuary attic and wondered out on top of the stained-glass dome that is suspended over or worship space and very carefully vaccumed off about a quarter of an inch of dust from the glass. According to some estimates, Rick and Harry cleaned away nearly twenty years of dust and dirt from an amazing piece of religious art suspended above our heads to reveal some astonishing colors. And while it is not as dramatic as the cleaning of the Sistien Chapel over the last few years, for many in the congregation tommorrow will be their first glimpse into the beauty that is the dome above their heads.

And while Harry and Rick have been at work on the dome, several other people have been at work adding color to our worship space. A few weeks ago Harry Geist along with Doug and Judy Pollow discreetly added flag-pole brackets to the side walls of our sanctuary. They did so because they wanted to hang banners along the sides of our worship space in order to add color and to visually narrow the width of our large sanctuary. Along with their adventures up the ladders and figuring out the measuring tape a number of women (Karen Grubb, Darlene Annen and Barb Bratt) got out their sewing machines to put hems on eight banners of various shades of red and yellow to hang on the recently affixed flag-pole brackets.

The effect of side banners and the newly cleaned stained glass dome will be, I hope, quite a statement for tommorrow's Pentecost worship. All of the hours put into creating the various visuals is a testament to the church holiday that commemorates the gift of the Holy Spirit to enliven the early group of Christians.

Throughout the last few weeks as those named above and others have come together we, at FPC Twin Falls, have seen a glimpse of what can happen when we rely on God to encourage us to share our gifts of time, talent and treasure for the good of the whole church. Thank you to all who have made this visually stimulating Pentecost possitble!

In Need of an Inspirational Pick Me Up?

If you are feeling at all blah in any way, shape or form, take the time to go to YouTube and look up Susan Boyle's performance from "Britain's Got Talent". I saw mention of this story on the Today Show this morning but missed it and so I thought that I'd take the time to look it up this morning and was it worth it!

Susan Boyle is a 47 year-old woman who looks nothing like a talented singer or entertainer. Such a preface is sometimes the more unfortunate part of Reality TV's success, but sometimes, just sometimes such an introduction leads into a surprising WOW that is inspirationally motivating. As Miss Boyle walked onto stage both the audience and the three very cynical judges judged her in a mocking way, as if to imply anyone who looked such a way and acted in such a cheeky manner could not possibly be anything. And through it all Susan Boyle remained ready to turn their cynicism on its ear and that is exactly what she did by singing "I Dream a Dream" from "Les Miserable" and it was amazing.

One of the most inspiring things about the 7 minute 30 second video is to watch the complete change on the looks of the judges faces and to see the audience go from mocking laughter to standing on their feet cheering and clapping as Susan Boyle belts out one powerful song of hope and dreams. So if you need a pick me up, please, please, take the time to check out YouTube and Susan Boyle, you won't be disappointed.

The Night Before Palm Sunday

Twas the Night Before Palm Sunday and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Huh?

On this night before Holy Week begins what should be going through our minds, if anything? Are we as ready as those who knew Jesus was preparing on entering the Holy City so many years ago? Are we prepared for a week of repentance and prayer as we look forward to celebrating communion mid-week and then observing the crucifixion the next evening? Will we awake on Easter with anticipation and wonder as those who awoke so long ago?

As we begin this Holy Week perhaps we too are in a position to look longingly for the long promised Kingdom of God promised by Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. And while we may not find ourselves under the boot of an oppressive regime like Rome, we do find ourselves caught up in a system that can seem coersive and debilitating, namely consumerism. And while consumerism may not be as pervasive as an occupying force in our streets, it does rear its ugly head upon us all as we wonder whether or not we have enough of this or the right kind of that.

So will we be able through off the shackles of consumerism as we remember and observe the events that lead to and beyond Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection? Only you will know, but my prayers are with you as you figure out what it means to celebrate a blessed Holy Week beginning tomorrow with Palm Sunday.

LOGOS Week 20

Wow! Can you believe it? Tonight is the Twentieth Week of LOGOS and we are ready to celebrate, but it is still hard to think what will happen next week and the week after until things start back up again in October of 2009. I know at least one six year old who will have trouble adjusting, as well as one thirty-eight year old who will appreciate a few weeks rest but will sorely miss the kids and adults. Granted I will see just about everyone, but it isn't quite the same on Sunday morning with brief encounters before, during and after worship.

When I think about this past year I will recall the time spent with our elementary and preschoolers teaching them about what the different parts of worship are. From learning about the Call to Worship by having the kids take off their shoes and socks and walking through sand, dirt, and stone replicating Moses' walk on Holy Ground to teaching the kids "Go Tell it on the Mountain" while discussing music as Proclamation to having the kids develop a communion table cover that the congregation is using throughout Lent the time I have spent with the dozen or so younger kids during Worship Skills has been priceless.

I will also fondly remember the evenings of being the Dinner Dean during Family Time. Being granted the privilege to be the first one to raise my hand and watching everyone raise their hands and gradually quiet down to prepare to pray for our food through word and song and movement is a joy like no other. And then to bring others along in the activity of thanking the cooks and then to listen to the laughter and sheer fun that young and old alike have during family game time is awesome.

And then there has been the time spent with the two oldest kids in LOGOS, Austin and Zakk who have encounter the Bible through J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Ring" triology has been fun and hopefully stimulating in their grasp of the Bible and concepts of faith. Of course I have missed spending time with the Junior Highs this year, but having that small group time with two young men and talking about how the Bible interacts with their lives has been informative and formative.

Like I said, I will certainly appreciate a few weeks of having six to eight hours each week when I am not preparing and engaged in LOGOS, but I suspect that I will soon feel a great hole in my week. So I pray and ask all of you to pray for the relationships that have been built and have grown throughout these past twenty weeks that they may continue in the time between March 2009 and October 2009. May all who have been touched by the wonder of treating one another as Children of God continue even as LOGOS at FPC, Twin Falls takes a hiatus. And may we all work at building relationships with one another, whatever our age, through God in Christ who has called us all into sacred community.