Heroes and Psalm 147:10-11

Tonight at our church's LOGOS ministry we're doing "Heroes Night" and as I lay awake early this morning I wondered about why we're still fascinated by or repelled by heroes. And then I read this morning's daily lectionary from the Psalms, especially verses ten and eleven which read; "[God's] delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner; but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love."

What those two verses said to me is that we want someone in whom we can trust steadfastly. And even as we are reminded again and again that steadfast love is what God wants from us, we fickle, finite, people are always on the lookout for a being who is greater than we are and yet also one whom we can see.

That's where heroes come in. Whether they are heroes from the battlefield, like the dwindling number of Medal of Honor Recipients, or heroes from the ball field, or heroes from the world of comic books; we all long for someone who can do more than we can and whom we can trust to be there for us no matter what. Of course that is who God is in our lives and our longing for God to be more present was accomplished by God through the incarnation and later the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of God's Son Jesus Christ who made the way for the Holy Spirit.

And yet even as we confess our faith in such beliefs we daily long for something more tangible. And so we put our hopes in the boys in blue on the blue turf in Boise or in the men and women who give of themselves overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan or we look to supermen and women from the world of "graphic novels" to rescue us. And yet at some point or another all of these valiant heroes let us down in one way or another and we would better serve by the One who came to be among us--Emmanuel--God with us. And that is our challenge for this Advent season, to longingly trust that God comes among us and lives in us and that makes all the difference in the world.

Mr. Mom Chronicles 20: LOGOS gives life!

The real highlight for both Eric and me was LOGOS! On the way home I asked him what he liked best about the night and he said "playing frisbee golf in the church and the table game after dinner." And while I have to agree with Eric that watching two dozen kids zoom foam frisbees throughout the halls of the First Presbyterian Church as well as seeing them turn playdough into different pet related items in a 3D version of Pictionary were both really great, I saw some other things that made my week!

Specifically watching two or three of the quieter kids smile from ear to ear and engage with the other kids and adults in a deep and wide way. As always there are some more reserved kids in any group, just like there are usually reserved adults (I should know as I am one) and as one my heart goes out to them that they just hang in there for there will be moments when everything clicks and they really do enjoy being at the church on a Wednesday afternoon and evening.

And yesterday was just one of those days when I saw a kindergartner who I'm never really sure what's going on with her, I watched her sing with joy and smile and really enjoy worship skills, thanks to Shastina's (the adult leader) definite gift of teaching. I saw an eighth grader who is usually quite reserved get a charge out of frisbee golf in the halls and I saw a very quiet ninth grader engage deeply in Bible study. Not to mention watching, as I've mentioned, an adult leader take the worship skills part of the night not only to the next level but to a place where the kids were having as much fun and getting as much out of singing as they got out of throwing frisbees in the hallway. Shastina Blackston definitely gets a gold star for the night and for what will, I'm certain, be many more successful evenings with our youngest kids.

So even though for all the adults and for a lot of the kids it is a good kind of tiring evening, it is also an time where we get to experience life in abundance! I am so grateful to the kids, youth, parents, and other adults who give so much time and effort to make this ministry happen at FPC.

LOGOS Begins Tonight!

Wow, can it have really been nearly a month since I've blogged anything? Maybe Facebook, with its microblogging just fits better into my schedule, but then again it is difficult to really say anything much on Facebook, so here goes.

I suppose the other reason that I haven't blogged anything these past few weeks is that I have been swamped with Presbytery responsibilities and home communion and a host of administrative responsibilities not to mention a funeral or two so I guess I'd be justified in saying that as many of those responsibilties will continue over the next few weeks that I don't really have time for LOGOS. But that wouldn't really be true because of all the responsibilities that I have; taking the time to nurture young people in the faith is one of the most important and enduring things on my to do list. That and I really love being with the kids and the many adults who genuinely love God, love being with the kids and have gifts to share with and for the Kingdom of God.

So while I'm planning Bible study and getting ready to be dinner dean and keeping in mind the funeral for Friday and the ongoing presbytery responsibilities and the myriad of other church and family responsibilties (like Kathy going out of town on Monday and my mother coming to town for a few days the following week) I will do my best to remember that for the next 20 or so Wednesday evenings at LOGOS I will be doing something far more important than deciding which insurance company the church should go with or how to handle some prickly personell issue or how to handle the next stage of the presbytery commission I've been serving for far too long.

So what is that "far more important thing" that called for such a grandiose run-on sentence? It is that I will be helping about 30 young people come to know Jesus Christ at a wider, deeper and more profound level that will hopefully allow them to continue their relationship with Jesus Christ within this community of faith or another one in the years to come. In addition the 60 or so adults who will help make LOGOS happen throughout the year will also grow in their own relationship with Jesus Christ and see how that most important bond with our Lord and Savior relates to getting to know the kids in our church and community as well as their peers with whom they have worshipped with for years.

In other words, even as I may feel overwhelmed at times, I can point to Wednesday evening in the midst of my week as an oasis of Kingdom Living, of relationship building, of grafting our lives into a more profound embrace of God our Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

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.

Second Home

Granted, the title of this blog might speak to a dream home at the beach or one in the mountains, somewhere where an individual or a family can escape the trials of life. And those certainly are nice for those who can afford them, but I'm thinking about a second home that many families and individuals can find right in their own communities. I'm speaking about church as a second home.

Last night while I was at LOGOS, after a busy day and trying to get a lot done, a feeling came over me of contentment that some might find in a second home which is an escape from daily life and gives them the energy to go on with the rest of the week. Yes, I had seen many of the same people on Sunday morning, but as pastor, and I suspect for most church goers, the Sunday morning event does not allow for the same depth of relationship that a meal or common task affords.

But mostly, for me, the sense of a second home came after dinner when I sat down with two senior high boys for Bible study. We are watching the "Lord of the Rings" and then talking about how ideas in the film connect with the Bible and life. While we were settling into a clip about Loving Relationships, a dad and his preschool daughter joined us for some movie watching and then consideration of how the Bible and a popular film talk to us about being in relationship with God and one another.

It struck me in that space: how different, how removed from regular life, and yet how valuable it was, what an opportunity for relationship building to have two senior high boys, two thirty-something dads and a preschool daughter listen in on a conversation that God started a long time ago, about what makes for loving and lasting relationships.

Having that time apart from the crush of deadlines and expectations and goals and concerns is vital for the life of both the individual and the family. And it is a joy to be part of forming a second home for the people of First Presbyterian Church in Twin Falls, Idaho. I hope you, too, will continue to join me in building this second home, as well.

Pooped, but Proud!

Our first night of LOGOS is complete and I am pooped, but proud!

I am pooped because it takes a lot of energy to get ready for LOGOS. Personally, I am involved in three of the four areas of the ministry: Worship Skills, Family Time and Bible Study. And, although I am not involved in Recreation I did a lot of running around the building last night. Between taking pictures, and running errands for teachers and leaders, and making sure kids were in the right place; I nearly got to every corner of our 30,000 square foot church. But it was more than worth it!

Why was it worth it? Well, seeing children, youth, and adults growing in their relationship with Christ and because of His love, they in turn were growing in their relationships with one another, makes all the energy spent well worth it. That and seeing upwards of two-dozen adults making a similar effort in their preparations certainly makes a pastor proud. And even though being prideful can be a sin, I do believe that the pride I feel towards our congregation, towards those who are working and praying to make LOGOS ministry a success for Christ, is a forgivable and understandable kind of pride.

May God bless our ministry with children and youth and help us grow in our understanding of the love of Christ and the compassion of the Holy Spirit in our midst.

Anticipation, Joy & Hope!

In a little over 24 hours we will again launch our congregation's LOGOS ministry. Now for those of you who know a little bit about Presbyterians, you will know that we love the alphabet soup of acronyms. But in this case, LOGOS does not stand for anything other than the Greek word for "word" (logos) as in, "In the beginning was the word (logos)".

LOGOS is a midweek ministry for Children and Youth to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ as well as with Christian adults. It is also an opportunity for the adults involved to come to know Christ at a deeper level by entering into relationship with the young people God has called them to serve as well as their peers who are serving alongside of them.

So why have I titled this Blog post "Anticipation, Joy & Hope!"? Well, simply put, that is how I feel about our start-up scheduled for Wednesday, October 1st. I am feeling a lot of anticipation as I think about all that needs to fall into place, between my own responsibilities as well as the adults involved and of course the kids who have some idea of what to expect, but for whom new beginnings can be a challenge.

Then again, I am feeling a great deal of joy that this ministry is launching off on a second year. This summer 11 people from our church went to training, including me, and we got so excited and recommitted to this ministry of bringing children, youth and adults into a more intimate relationship with Christ. That and it is a heck of a lot of fun in the midst of a week of pastoral ministry.

Which brings me to the hope: Hope that this year to come will be filled with all the laughter, insights, and growth that last year saw. LOGOS is an incredible time, not only for our children and youth, but for adults who may see each other in the sanctuary on Sunday or out shopping in the community, but who come together on Wednesday evening and make a difference in the lives of young people as well as within their own lives in more fulling comprehending what it means to be loved by our gracious God.

So I hope you will pray for us as we, at FPC, Twin Falls, once again head down the path of LOGOS.