From Anxiety to Gratefulness

2 Corinthians 9:7 English Standard Version (ESV)

⁷ Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Last Sunday as I stood from the pulpit of my congregation and spoke God’s message for His people, I spoke about living life with an Attitude of Gratitude.  On Monday morning I lived with an Attitude of Gratitude, but on Tuesday morning I find myself working from my office at home as I await a plumber’s arrival to our home.  Yes, how can one have an Attitude of Gratitude when they are forced to spend money that has not been budgeted for such an item?

It seems as I am always worrying about something, and for many of us money or lack of it seems to be constantly on our minds. As we face this election year we have seen that secrets and personal information has been leaked about our candidates, information that has occurred in the past as well as recently. It seems as trust and the keeping of information has fallen to a low time moment, but it gives people an opportunity to be honest about their past, present, and future.

As a pastor, I am called to keep confidences. Keeping one trust and confidence is essential to the trust that one must have in their pastors. But as a pastor, my life is an open book and it will always be. In my life I have faced episodes of clinical depression and anxiety, which I have been able to keep a reign on, with the help of counseling and medication.  Every so often this depression makes itself known, especially when I feel that I or a member of my family have been treated incorrectly. Often people tell me not to take it personally, but they do not understand that for a person that suffers from depression, personally is the only way we know how to take it.

I am not ashamed to speak about my bouts with depression and anxiety, because I know that God has given me the strength to fight these battles and come out on the other side. When one struggles with periods of depression they see no way out, and they feel as they are the blame for what they are in every event that they face.

With this being said, what does this have to do with giving of Time, Talents, and Resources to your local church? My friends, it’s all about attitude and pressing our way through difficult situations by taking on the task at hand instead of burying the problem. We are called to be honest with ourselves and honest with others, be it physical, emotional, or spiritual ailments. Likewise the ministry must be honest with itself in its needs and requirements to stay healthy and vital.  

As you read articles on church giving and speak with many pastors, church giving is way down. Sharing the blessings that God has gifted us with seems to be a harder and harder task to undertake. As we sit down on a weekly and monthly basis where does our church come on the list of sharing your blessings? When we break down the needs of church ministry we must understand that to keep the doors open and God’s work continuing, the occasional dollar or two in the offering plate on Sunday will not keep a ministry operating (I say ministry, because the church is the people who minister, and praise God in a place of worship).

Beloved, God’s call for all of us is to be honest with ourselves in whatever we are facing. Likewise, we must be honest with the needs of our local church ministries, and how we are supplying the work and the funds to continue God’s work in this world.  Can you change a light bulb, fix a leaky pipe? Can you find a skill that you have to benefit God’s Kingdom? What are you grateful about and how can you share that for God’s glory?

As I sit here and await a plumber and pay him, I do so with an Attitude of Gratitude in the fact that God has given be abundant blessings, such as water out of a faucet and a roof over my head.

God has given us all our respective houses of worship and the Attitude of Gratitude is that it is not about money, it is about God and our work as the Body of Christ in it. So give cheerfully of your time, talents and resources with Attitudes of Gratitude. You will be glad that you did, and you will be grateful.

Thanks for reading, thanks for being grateful, and thanks for being cheerful

Pastor Tim. 

Tim's Topics: What is Your Passion and Writing About It.

Tim's Topics: What is Your Passion and Writing About It.: 1 Corinthians 10:31   ESV So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Recently I returned to ...

What is Your Passion and Writing About It.

1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Recently I returned to my University and Seminary homecoming. While there, many memories went through my mind. Memories of good times, and memories of times that I wished I had been a better student. On one occasion I remember turning in my final paper on Christian Doctrine, and I remember the professor saying: “It’s OK Tim, some people just aren’t writers!” I so much wanted to say that some people are not writers if they aren’t passionate about the topic.

Last night, I dreamed dreams and had great thoughts, due to the Holy Spirit or the Down on Main Hamburger I had for my evening meal. (I say meal, because being in the south I can never remember if dinner is dinner or if dinner is supper).

Last night I had dreams of the police chaplain ministry thing that I do, which I am passionate about. In this dream I was leaning over a child caressing his wounded head, when I saw and heard the Mayor of our small town look at me and say, “Do your thing”! With this I prayed over this child for healing and that he not be scared.

Last night it seemed that everything that I dreamed surrounded people and things that I love. When I woke up this morning, God had placed in my head that I must write about things that I am passionate about. God placed in my head that I must write that the world needs more passion, and it needs to exist more around another passion, the Passion of His Son Jesus Christ.

Last Sunday I was driving home from my university homecoming. While driving through my hometown I tuned in the local Public Radio Station and listened to the show called On Being. Poet, Educator, and Catholic Mary Karr was being interviewed about her new work “Astonished by the Human Comedy”.

“A dysfunctional family is any family with more than one person in it.” Mary Karr is beloved for her salty memoirs in which she traces her harrowing childhood in southeast Texas with a mother who once tried to kill her with a butcher’s knife and her own adult struggles with alcoholism and breakdown. She has a captivating ability to give voice to what is funny and wild in life’s most heartbreaking moments. Mary Karr embodies this wryness and wildness in her lesser-known spiritual practice as a devout Catholic — an unexpected move she made in mid-life. (Karr 2016)

In this interview Mary spoke about the human comedy and the fact that life events can be taken as a learning experience, or practice to continue on. Life experiences wake us up and help us to continue on. What is our true self? What are we passionate about? Karr states: “The same voice we use to criticize others is the same voice we use to criticize ourselves” (Karr 2016)

What I am speaking about today is that anyone can write, and anyone can communicate their true selves and true feelings, as long as you write with the passion that these experiences have placed within you.

Mary Karr was passionate about her Catholicism, but this passion was much more. As Mary spoke about finding her faith, her realistic life experiences were spoken with passion, the passion that over time eventually  led her to her faith.

The Passion that lives within the lives of every follower of the cross is that of the “One True Passion”. Jesus Christ, was betrayed, arrested, beaten, mocked, and crucified for our sins, for our life experiences and life failures.  

Mary Karr, writes with passion about her experiences with insanity, addiction, and with her finding a passionate faith when her life felt passionless.  The passion that Mary Karr speaks about really spoke to me. 

When Mary spoke about people gathering together in worship and communally surrendering everything of themselves to God.

My friends, what encourages you? What feeds you? What are you passionate about? My hope for you this week is that you will discover what gives you passion, and write, write, and write. 

For me the Passion of Christ, the agony, the pain, and the love in which he sacrificed himself for us will always be my guiding star. Jesus is all about passion in the fact that he gave His everything for us. The image of Christ hanging on the cross is what guides me to give everything for others, it is my passion.

This is the day that the Lord has made. May you find your own passion your own experience and write about it.

Pastor Tim.

Bibliography

Karr, Mary, interview by Christa Tippet. 2016. On Being (October 16).

Tim's Topics: Giving Everything of Yourselves in Thankfulness.

Tim's Topics: Giving Everything of Yourselves in Thankfulness.: The Widow's Offering 41 As Jesus was sitting opposite the treasury, He watched the crowd placing money into it. And many rich pe...

Giving Everything of Yourselves in Thankfulness.

The Widow's Offering
41As Jesus was sitting opposite the treasury, He watched the crowd placing money into it. And many rich people put in large amounts. 42 Then one poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amounted to a small fraction of a denarius. 43 Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more than all the others into the treasury. Mark 12: 41-43

Recently a person walked into our church needing assistance and as I listened to the persons plight, I was more than willing to help. As I dug into my pockets, I found that I only had sixteen dollars. With it being a week away from my payday, this was all the money that I had for the week. If I drove carefully, I would have enough gas and should have enough to get around. Eating lunch at home is a better healthier alternative than eating out.

Knowing that this persons need was greater then mine, I emptied my wallet and gave him everything that I had monetarily until my next paycheck. As I gave the money to the person they looked at me with eyes that were asking "Is this the best you can do"? I explained that this was all the money that I had, and hoped it would be enough for the moment. Rather then a thank you I got a head nod as the person walked out the door. I pray that my meager offering will bless this person and provide the maximum comfort possible.

I tell this story not to pat myself on the back, but to emphasize the fact that if a person is giving you all that they have it is more important then the money itself. Giving all that you have to a greater good is what the woman did when she placed all that she had in the treasury.

Giving everything that we have in love of God and care and concern for others is truly the call of those that proclaim to follow Christ. Those that receive the gift are called to understand the sacrifice that it took in the persons heart, in the fact that they sacrificed so someone else need not sacrifice. 

Beloved, when someone extends a blessing to you, make sure to at least inside yourself understand the sacrifice that the person has made for you. When our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ sacrificed himself on the cross, he gave everything of himself for our eternal forgiveness and salvation. It was more then two coins, it was more then sixteen dollars. Jesus gave everything, may we never forget to show appreciation. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

As we celebrate International Girls Day today, let us always be thankful for the woman and the two coins.

This is the day that the Lord has made, go out and be appreciative for your blessings and give everything that you have for His glory.

Pastor Tim.

A Vote for Neither. A Vote for God!

The views written are those of the author alone.

Matthew 23:23 ESV “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

Like many in America this election season I find myself cast into the abyss of not knowing who to vote for and maybe not wanting to vote for either of them. I ask myself and also tell myself that voting for either Trump or Clinton will be voting against my Christian beliefs. Do I vote for Trump and be in fear of what he may do, or do I vote for Clinton and condoning what she has done in the past.

Today I was told that not voting at all is a wasted vote and that the person I don’t want to be elected may be elected. My answer to that is my vote will not be wasted as I do not support either of them, and my conscious as a Christian will be clear. Many people of faith, many that claim to be followers of the cross of Christ, will either vote for Trump or Clinton. What does this say about the values of this nation, what does it say about our Christian values?

 Which do we hold closest to the vest, our being Republicans, Democrats, Independents or Followers of Christ?

A 2005 article written by the Reverend Billy Graham titled The Unpardonable Sin Graham states that the only sin that cannot be forgiven is the one of turning our backs on God. “The Bible says only one sin is unforgivable -- and that is the sin of refusing God's forgiveness. If we turn our backs on God and refuse to have anything to do with Him, then we will eventually pay the consequences for our stubbornness” (Graham 2005).

The question that many followers of Christ must ask themselves is: “Is a vote for either major party candidate turning our backs on God by following those that have turned their backs on God in relation to their personal and public lives? This is a question that many Christians must ask themselves before they enter the voting booth this November. Is a vote for neither a vote for God? Is a vote for neither showing that our faces are facing God?

Beloved, these are just the thoughts of someone who is not a supporter of either candidate. These are the thoughts of a person that believes that America can do much better than the nominees that we have for the highest office in the land.

As Americans we have the freedom to make our own choices, what will yours be and have you truly thought about what God thinks about our choices? The Bible is clear, that no matter what we do and no matter what Trump and Clinton do, God is in charge. Jesus will return for His Kingdom, no matter how we vote, but I will face God until that day happens and never turn my back on my values and my witness to God’s Son, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Pastor Tim.

Bibliography

Graham, Billy. 2005. The Seattle PI. Accessed October 10, 2016. http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/The-only-unforgivable-sin-1173615.php.

What is Reality?

John 16:13 ESV 

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

Recently a couple of comments made by my children got me to thinking about reality and what is truly real. One day my son who is a law enforcement officer on a University Campus stated that he didn't feel like the "real' police. And one day my youngest son who suffers from Autism spoke about his post high school education at a state run training school. As we drove through the campus of the University of Kentucky, he stated: "I wish I had gone to a real college like this"!

Beloved, how often do we think of who we are and what we do as being inadequate, at least in the world that we live?

My friends, each and every one of us is given a clear path to walk by God, and we are guided on that path by the Holy Spirit. 

My advice for my sons is that what you are doing and what you have done, truly is making a difference. When we do things in love of God, we call that ministry, and when we do things in ministry, they are truly real.

This does not mean that we should stop wishing and hoping and dreaming for better and bigger things, but it does mean that we can be and should be happy about the amazing things that God has done in our lives already.

The true reality of our existence is that God created us, God loves us so much that he gave His Son to die for us, and that Jesus is coming back. Until that time God has given us the Holy Spirit to walk with us step by step and to guide us along our way. 

Beloved this is the true reality that we can trust and it is the true reality that we can trust with our past, present and future.   

Be well in the reality, truth, and promise of God, this day and always.

Pastor Tim.