No, I’m not referring to the 1981 hit by .38 Special, though I admit that song always made me smile.  I’m referring to words, whispered in the dark, 18 years earlier by my mom’s mom to my mom as she held her first baby (me) in her arms.  “Hold on loosely, honey.” My mom used to share how jarring that was coming from her sweet little mother, and yet how profound. Truth is, it applies to many more things than parenting.

For the last several weeks the congregation has brought in pounds of candy, the facility team has spent dozens of man-hours undoing critter damage in our outbuilding (Building 2).  On Saturday, October 26, a crack team of volunteers assembled the giant bouncy houses, fun fair games, and eatery, turning a warehouse space into an outreach extravaganza! Then came the warnings of another snowpocalypse…..  Unfortunately, because of the heaters we had to rent, we had to make the call in the morning of the event, and that morning there was still a bulls-eye on KC at 7 p.m., so I pulled the plug – hearing, once again, the words of my Grandma Nelson, “Hold on Loosely”… 

As echoed by Solomon:

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

Learned by Job:

“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:  ‘Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.  Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.’” (Job 38:1-4)

And demonstrated by Jesus:

“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42)

I don’t know how often this happens for you.  I am often accused by voices in my head that if only I had planned better, if only I had anticipated better, then thus and so wouldn’t have happened.  Of course, one can ALWAYS learn from mistakes, BUT one isn’t always mistaken. Sometimes God has a different plan. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.  Where He leads, we simply need to…..go!

Amen? 

Blessings,

Pastor Scott

On Sunday, October 20, 2019, we were able to live stream the sermon on the church’s Facebook page.  We hope to be able to continue to provide this service for those who aren’t able to be with us physically.  There are just four things I wanted to make note of now that we have our first service online! (Technically, it was not the first one; Levi’s mom streamed his sermon in September, proving it could be done! 🙂 ) 

1. We can post only the sermons because I, Pastor Scott, hold the copyright on those.  We do not have, and cannot afford, the license to broadcast music over the internet.
2. This Sunday, October 27, we are privileged to host Calvary’s Lux Voces and, because of point #1, we won’t be live streaming anything.
3. Services posted on Facebook and/or Youtube* are recorded so, if you aren’t able to join us live at 9:45, you can watch it any time or even reference it later in the month/year.
4. Over time, we will work to center up the picture and decrease the echo; right now we are using a phone and trying not to obscure the view of anyone in the live audience.

If you have any non-tech questions, feel free to call the church or email me at scott@wordofgrace.org.

Blessings,

Pastor Scott

*We hope to be on YouTube in November 

1. How come you’re standing by the back as we leave?

On Sunday Gary Rogers (the Elder who read scripture – hint, hint) also read the announcements and gave the benediction so that I could get to the back door and greet folks as they left.  Dozens of people asked me why I was doing that, many mentioning that it was a return to the `50’s (which I assume was an intentional exaggeration since I wasn’t alive in the ‘50’s and not only do I remember greeting pastors at the back of the service, I remember being the pastor at the back of the service! 🙂 ).   I do enjoy greeting everybody, but that’s not why I made this change. Nor did I make it, as some teased, so I could hear instant evals of the sermon! I did it because too often I don’t get to meet visitors. After the message I find myself caught up in conversation at the front of the Worship Center, and if a later coming visitor doesn’t stay for fellowship, I never get to even shake his or her hand, so at least this way that presumably will change! 

2. Texter:  “What do you do when you are being pulled in different directions of doing new things out of your comfort zone to help you grow and giving your time and energy into your gifts/strengths?  What wins over when you’re stretched thin on time/mental capabilities?”

The verses that come to mind are in Ephesians 5.  Paul says: “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. “ (vs 15-17)   From the pulpit I said, in response to this question, “I think you need to seek wise counsel,” and the recitation of this verse doesn’t change that.  It seems to me, especially when life throws so much at us that all seems equally important, it’s helpful to have someone(s) to help us prioritize. I often have to remind myself that God doesn’t expect me to get 26 hours’ worth of work done in a 24 hour day!  🙂

Blessings,

Pastor Scott

Scripture is full of agricultural analogies some of which, I’m afraid, as a child of suburbia, I miss.  Take this one, that anyone raised around sheep would know…

The beautiful, green hills of New Zealand, a country known for its sheep industry, are dotted everywhere with white sheep. During the yearly lambing season, thousands of baby lambs are born. Unfortunately, some lambs die at birth. Many mother sheep are also lost during lambing season; they die giving birth. In an attempt to save the orphaned lambs, the shepherds match baby lambs that have lost their mothers with mother sheep who have lost their lambs. It’s not as easy as it sounds, though—a mother sheep won’t accept a lamb and nurse it unless it is her own.

How, then, do shepherds get a mother sheep to accept an orphaned lamb as her own? The process is as old as shepherding itself. The mother’s own lamb, which has died, is skinned and the skin of the dead lamb is draped over the living lamb as it is placed by the adoptive mother’s side. The mother sheep then smells the skin and accepts the orphaned lamb as her own.

Lambing season in New Zealand reminds us of what Jesus did for us on the cross. When John wrote, in Revelation 7:14 and 12:11, of our being saved by “the blood of the Lamb” it was in terms that people in agrarian societies vividly understood.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he…has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility…” (Ephesians 2:13-14). Because of Christ’s blood, God accepts us as his own. Once we were orphans, but now we are God’s adopted children.

Gives a whole new meaning or focus to the fact that Jesus is the Lamb of God, doesn’t it?

Yours, because I’m His,

Pastor Scott

“A woman means by Unselfishness chiefly taking trouble for others; a man means not giving trouble to others…thus, while the woman thinks of doing good offices and the man of respecting other people’s rights, each sex, without any obvious unreason, can and does regard the other as radically selfish.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

Or said another way; she’s trying to “love” him by “mothering” him and that makes him feel belittled and disrespected.  Meanwhile he’s trying to “respect” her by showing her that he believes she can do it by herself – which leaves her feeling completely unloved and alone.  Interesting that God specifically instructs each of us to DO what DOESN’T come naturally, but what the other most NEEDS, isn’t it? (Ephesians 5:33)  Hope to see you tonight at Marriage Matters!

Question and Answer

On Sunday, September 22, 2019, I finished the study of Colossians in a whirlwind.  Two of the verses we hit as we hustled to end of the book were 3:18-19: “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.  Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.”  

Well after the service was over, and too late to clarify, I received this text question: “If my wife is wanting to help, though I don’t want help, isn’t she fulfilling her role as a helper that is built into her?” 

Here’s my guess as to the question’s origin.  In the course of talking about wives respecting their husbands, I very likely spoke in terms of wives who want to be overly helpful.  I was trying to be tongue-in-cheek and I was using “helpful” as a euphemism for “controlling” or “back-seat driving.” Certainly, a wife can be helpful without looking over her husband’s shoulder and/or second guessing his actions.  I need help running my household, even if I don’t need help with the particular project I’m working on this minute. (This is one of those times I wish the textline wasn’t anonymous – because I have no idea if I’m answering your question).  I will confess that the expression I used and that I assume the texter is responding to, may have been influenced by a Tim Hawkins sketch called “Helper in the Car.” LOL.

Prayer Request

I don’t know who clicks on “Pastor’s Blog” who might not also click on “Prayer Bulletin,” but for those who might not see the PB, I just want to ask you to pray three things for our congregation:

1.  Pray that we would reach OUT.  We, the Church, have one commission, but life gets so busy it’s easy to forget our first and foremost task.  At the very least, we can invite friends, neighbors, and co-workers to church!
2. Pray that we would reach reach IN.  Fellowship, friendship, touching lives, and meeting needs ought to be part of the community experience that is Word of Grace Fellowship.  Pray that this would start with open hearts on Sunday morning and continue with thoughtful alertness throughout the week, every week. This isn’t an institutional (staff) prayer request; this a body prayer request (Eph 4:16), but often in the same way life keeps us too busy to witness, “churchiness” can keep us too busy take time to know one another’s needs.
3. Pray that God’s people would supply for the financial needs of WOGF.   The last two months have fallen short and I have been told before, you can’t help if you don’t know….  Please help and please beseech the One Who owns all those cattle!!  

Yours because I’m His,

Pastor Scott    

I have a book of illustrations compiled by author and speaker Craig Brian Larson.  This one is entitled, “Lost People.”

         On Sunday, December 22, 1996, Carnell Taylor was working on a paving crew repairing the Interstate 64 bridge over the Elizabeth River in Virginia. The road was icy, and a pickup truck slid out of control and hit Taylor, knocking him off the bridge. He fell 75 feet and hit the cold waters of the river below. His pelvis and some of the bones in his face were broken.

         Joseph J. Brisson, the captain of a barge passing by at that moment, saw Taylor fall and quickly had to make a life-or-death decision. He knew Taylor would drown before he and his crew could launch their small boat and reach him. The numbingly cold water and strong currents of the river could kill him if he dived in to rescue Taylor. He had a family, and Christmas was three days away.

        Brisson decided to risk his life for a man he had never met. He dived into the river, swam to Taylor, and grabbed hold of him. “Don’t worry, buddy,” he said, “I got you.” Brisson held Taylor’s face above the water and encouraged him to keep talking. Then he took hold of a piece of wood in the water and slid it under Taylor to help keep him afloat.  The current was too strong for them to swim to safety, and eventually the cold caused Brisson to lose his grip on Taylor. So Brisson wrapped his legs around the injured man’s waist and held on.

          After nearly 30 minutes the crew from the barge was finally able to reach the two men and pull them from the water into the small boat. Taylor was hospitalized for broken bones. Brisson, the hero, was treated for mild hypothermia.

          Brisson later told the Associated Press he knew what he had to do when he saw the man fall. “I have family,” he said. “I thought about that. But I thought about how life is very important. I’m a Christian man, and I couldn’t let anything happen to him.”

          In this perilous rescue, Joseph Brisson shows us the heart of God. The God of love knows better than anyone the tremendous value of a human being and his or her eternal soul. For even one person Jesus was willing to leave the safety and joy of his family in heaven and give himself to save others.

 I, Pastor Scott, know that many of you reading this would sacrifice your comfort or safety to physically help someone – many of you, as veterans or first responders, have.  I wonder what stops us from sacrificing our emotional comfort to help save someone from eternity IN HELL?  

Something to think about – starting with me,

Your Brother, Pastor Scott

I’m writing this blog on 9/11.  I had planned to pen something thoughtful about “Theodicy” (why a Good God permits evil), but I can’t get this viral 9/10 piece out of mind.  Perhaps you saw it:

On this day, 18 years ago, 246 people went to sleep in preparation for their morning flights. 2,606 people went to sleep in preparation for work in the morning. 343 firefighters went to sleep in preparation for their morning shift. 60 police officers went to sleep in preparation for morning patrol. 8 paramedics went to sleep in preparation for the morning shift. None of them saw past 10:00am Sept 11, 2001. In one single moment life may never be the same. As you live and enjoy the breaths you take today and tonight before you go to sleep in preparation for your life tomorrow, kiss the ones you love, snuggle a little tighter, and never take one second of your life for granted.

The sentiment is great!  As a husband, father, and a (very recent) grandfather I need to be vigilant about loving my family.  But as a believer in Christ, as a witness for Him (Acts 1:8 – thanks to Levi for bringing that out so powerfully this past Sunday), I need to use this 9/11 reminder to wake up to the truth that anytime I talk to anyone could be the last time I talk to him or her.  You and I need to ask ourselves: “Am I really living as a light in this dark world? Am I intentionally using my words and ‘making the most of {my} time, because the days are evil’* and short?”

Thoughtfully,

Pastor Scott

*Ephesians 5:18

This past Sunday (8/18) I started a verse-by-verse exposition of Colossians 3; I almost made it through verse 5.  Verse 5 contains one of two “sin lists” in Colossians 3 — lists of sins that were nailed to the cross as part of our old lives, sins that still creep up because we walk in this world and still inhabit bodies of flesh. The first list (the one in v. 5) is almost entirely about sensuality outside of marriage, except for the final word – GREED/COVETOUSNESS.  I sort of overlooked this in my concern for the effect immorality is having on our youth and families via our culture. Greed (avarice) is also a killer, and I wanted to take a minute here to remind us that it, too, needs to be “put off!”

Let’s look first at the etymology.  The word translated greed, or covetousness, here is used almost exclusively by Paul.  The word is pleonxia  – pleon (more) and echo (have).  In the earliest uses (Herodotus), pleonxia denotes immoral lust for power.  Plato uses it in the sense of surpassing someone in ambition, power, and possession.  In the ancient writers pleonxia was always viewed negatively as all-consuming avarice for power, wealth, and conquest.

Paul used it similarly.  He saw it as defrauding (1 Thess 4:6) and dividing (1 Cor 5:11) brothers.   The insatiability of greed leads to a willingness to cheat and to ultimately sever the bond with the Creator, making an idol of what I’m seeking.  “Thou shalt not covet” was the tenth commandment, but in many ways it summed up several others. Said “positively,” one could say, “Thou shalt be content!” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

There is one more word I want to consider before I close.  It’s another of Paul’s and is only used once; in 1 Timothy 6:10.  In Greek it’s a single compound word, philargyria; in English it literally translates “love of money.”  Paul lifts a piece of a more ancient proverb when in his letter to Timothy he says, “The love of money is the root of all evil.”  We all know people who have spent their whole lives chasing the next $ and have only ashes in their mouths to show for it. Brothers and sisters, why do we think it will be different for us?  Seek first His kingdom; His glory; He’ll take care of the rest.  It isn’t possible to love both God and money!  (And those are not my words!)

Pastor Scott

This life we live has a lot to offer – it also has its share of disappointments!  In fact, if you look for them, you can find depressing signs all over the place!  (Just this morning I helped with a family who is facing the depressing fact that aging is inevitable and unavoidable; that we all have to say “uncle” someday); believe me when I say we aren’t all ready!

So how, you may ask, do some roll with disappointments while others allow disappointments to rock their worlds?   I believe it has a lot to do with where we’ve set our “affection” or our “hope.”  God often brings to mind a little exchange I’ve heard about the first American Missionary:

When Adoniram Judson was lying in a jail in Burma with thirty-two pounds of chains on his ankles which were tied to a bamboo pole, another prisoner asked, “Dr. Judson, what about the prospect of the conversion of the heathen?”

Judson replied, “The prospects are just as bright as the promises of God.”

It REALLY isn’t about our circumstances; it really is about walking by Faith more than by sight!  Something to think about as we send our kids back to school or a parents back to work…

Pastor Scott