Textbook Preaching...

Wow, its been a while, huh? Well, the month of August was wild because on the 4th of the month, Josiah started back to school. Yeah, really! It was like - what happened to summer? School got out, we went to Myrtle Beach for 10 days, came back and jumped into Vacation Bible School, then had some events at church in July, and the next thing I know, that big yellow thing is rolling up and swallowing up my baby boy. We had all kinds of plans for doing stuff - but there simply wasn't enough time. The schools here are only out for two months, so that "break" goes by fast. We do get two weeks in October, and then in the spring another two weeks. But, to be honest, I think I'd rather have a few more weeks in the summer.

Anyway, the month of August ended on a great note. A local Baptist Church sponsored a Bible conference that featured five really good speakers and some great worship. Two of the speakers were professors from Southern Seminary (one was also my pastor at Ninth and O Baptist in Louisville -Go Dr. Cook!). The other two speakers were younger guys - one a pastor from here in H'burg and the other (a former classmate) from Tennessee. The fifth was a guy I had never heard before, a TALL guy from Lexington named Patrick Whyte. Every one of these guys honored the Lord and proclaimed messages that challenged and convicted the hearts of those in attendance.

One message was very special because it was a sermon that should be recorded and used as teaching material for young preachers everywhere. Dr. Hershael York preached a textbook sermon on how to use illustrations. I have always appreciated Dr. York's preaching - I think I'd have to say he is one of my top three favorite preachers. He has an ability to just to take the text and make it more real and practical than you have ever understood it to be before, always staying true to what author was trying to communicate. On Monday night he took Colossians 2-3 apart and we looked at them in ways I'd never thought of. Most of all I was amazed at how he used his illustrations and stories NOT just to make a point clear, but to transition the sermon from point to point. They were word pictures that you could identify with, and stories that made you laugh. But, they did much more than that - they acted like bridges, taking you from place to place, point to point in seemless fashion. Seriously, you just don't want the sermon to end. The next day at lunch, several of the pastors who were at the conference all commented on that same thing.

Some say that Biblical preaching is dead. I heartily disagree. We just need preachers who can take the Word of God and proclaim it in a way that reveals its power and beauty. Thanks, Dr. York, Dr. Cook, Dave, Justin and Patrick. This hungry heart was satisfied. Preach on!

I Think it's About Grace.....

My sermon text for this weekend is Matthew 22:1-14. Its the parable of the Wedding Banquet. The first part of the parable is broken down into three invitations. The first was made prior to the beginning of the story (v3 - "those who were invited"). The second was the "call" to tell them everything was now ready(v2). Finally, when those who were initially invited chose to reject the invitation, a third invitation is made to those in the streets, "both bad and good" (v10). There is a ton of great material there in those ten verses - stuff I could talk about for hours. The arrogance (or ignorance) of people who blew off an invitation to the wedding of the son of a king is beyond words. I understand that in Jesus' day, to do so was terribly unwise. I guess the response of the King to their actions was not that surprising to the original audience. But, beyond the invitations, what intrigues me (and probably Jesus' hearers) is the interaction between the King and the guest (vs11-13).

Here is a guy who DID respond to the invitation, and he ends up in "outer darkness." What is up with that? The text says that his failure was that he "had no wedding garment" (v11), and when questioned about it, he was "speechless" (v12). Seems a little harsh, doesn't it? Some commentators say that the host of a wedding banquet would hand out wedding garments to the guests and apparently this guy refused, thinking his own clothing was sufficient. They liken the putting on of the wedding garments to receiving God's righteousness. D.A. Carson, a New Testament scholar that I highly respect, thinks that position can't be supported. He notes that whatever the reason, the guest in question simply wasn't prepared and that lack of preparation was seen as a serious failure by the king. (See EBC, Vol 6. Carson's work on Matthew is worth the price of the whole volume!)

I think these last five verses carry the weight of the whole parable. I believe the point is, entrance into the Kingdom of God isn't about just accepting the invitation. Its about HOW you accept the invitation. You see, those who in pride, ignorance, or arrogance, flat rejected the invitation (and brutalized the king's servants) rightly brought judgment upon themselves. But judgment also came to one of the men who accepted the invitation... because he wasn't dressed right.

I think the issue is grace. He didn't recognize it.

Those who were invited last, were out on the street. They weren't anyone, or anything special. They were "both bad and good." The truth is, they didn't deserve to be invited any more than the original invitees. The only reason they were invited was because of the grace of the king. In their humility and gratitude for the invitation, you would think they would have done whatever was needed to reflect how thankful they were to be there - even wearing a wedding garment. But apparently, this one guy didn't think it was that special. By not wearing the wedding garment, he was revealing the level of his gratitude for the invitation. He accepted the invite, but didn't recognize his unworthiness to even receive it. When the king saw that lack of gratitude, the man was tied up and tossed out into darkness.

We need to think about this in our evangelistic efforts. Salvation (entering the Kingdom) is, according to Jesus, more than just "accepting" the the invitation (see v14). It is more than just walking an isle, or raising your hand, or getting baptized. It is about understanding how unworthy (sinful) we are to even be offered such a gift, and then responding by clothing ourselves in broken hearted gratitude, humility, and worship.

It is about recognizing grace. Amazing grace.

Twenty-five...

On this day, twenty-five years ago, Sue Cartwright made an incredible promise. She said, before God and witnesses, that she would go with me wherever I went, and stay with me through good times and bad times. I have to believe she's lived up to her end of the bargain! I have taken my New Jersey girl all over the nation - North Dakota, Alaska, Oregon, and Kentucky. Mind you, none of the places we lived in these states were, or are, particularly glamorous. The homes she has lived in (with or without plumbing!), the things she has learned to do (cut moose, gut salmon, split wood), the jobs she has held (hotel clerk, hospital admin, teacher's aid, clinic staff, daycare worker), the difficulties she has endured (putting up with a global, neurotic, emotionally challenged husband/pastor) have made me realize just how strong she really is. She has, and continues to amaze me with her character, her passion, and her sense of timing. She says the most profound things at just the right moment. Sometimes, it is in her silence that I hear her most clearly. Is she perfect? No. She would be the first to tell you that wasn't true. She knows her weaknesses and faults better than anyone, and struggles with them daily. She isn't perfect, just perfect for me.

For twenty-five years I have never had to worry about her commitment to me or our family, because she is first and foremost committed to her Lord. I am a truly blessed man. God has given me more than just a wife. He has given me a friend, a partner, a lover, a confidant, and a precious treasure that is beyond ability to measure. What more could I ask the Lord for? Well, I guess, for twenty-five more!

Hey you. It's me. Thank you for being everything God knew I would need! I love you.

Hope in Rural Ministry

I know, it's been a long gap between posts. Sorry. We've were pretty busy in May with Mother's Day, and baptisms - I got to baptize my youngest son, Josiah - and Memorial Day concerts, and bar-b-ques, and getting ready for our vacation to Myrtle Beach.... it was nutz. But, the vacation came and went way too fast. We spent a week at a condo in North Myrtle Beach and really enjoyed the beauty, power, and vastness of the sea. Kind of puts things in perspective, doesn't it? The ocean, yeah, that is big. Me, well, I'm kind of small. But God is bigger than the ocean, and He is big enough to take care of me. One thing that struck me was a little girl that was being held by her daddy as he walked from the sand into the water. The father wanted to put the little girl down in the water and she fought like crazy to stay in her daddy's arms. She didn't mind being in the waves as long her daddy was carrying her, but she didn't want to be in the waves alone. I thought about how God has promised to carry us through all the "waves" of life. He won't put us down and leave us to face the fury alone. Thanks, Lord, for Your love.

But, to the point -and title- of this post. Sue, Josiah, and I were out working in our garden this afternoon, staking up the tomatos and beans. I pulled about a dozen radishes and brought them into the house to wash them. I realized that in my hands were more than just radishes. They were hope. You see, that piece of land where my garden is had not been productive in years. The last time it was used as a garden was at least five years ago. That ground had not brought forth anything but weeds for a long time. But, it was turned over, and good seeds were planted, and those seeds were watered, and now there was produce. Rural ministers - like me - need to remember the promise of God in Galatians 6:9, "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." In church ministry, it seems like there are always "weeds to pull," and sometimes it is overwhelming, and it seems like you'll never get'em all. But God doesn't say He won't do anything untill ALL the weeds are pulled. He just says, "Keep planting good seeds, and keep watering and working, and there will be produce. That is my promise." So, those aren't just a bunch 0f radishes. To me, they are a bunch of hope.

A Smile from Meghan...

This post is kind of a follow-up to "A Song for Melody." Melody passed into the arms of her Lord after a long and courageous fight with cancer on April 27th. The funeral was yesterday in Somerset, KY and God saw fit to keep the rain away until later in the day. All in all it went as well as funerals can go I guess. I did not give the message, but I spoke a little about how strong Melody was and how her faith sustained her. Her family asked if I could sing the old hymn, "Till the Storm Passes By" because I had sung that for Melody just a day before she was taken to the hospital for the last time, and she really enjoyed it. I was honored to help them by doing that.

During Melody's final days at the hospital, I was finally introduced to Meghan, her daughter. She had put her faith in Jesus at our little church some years back before I arrived, along with her mom. Meghan is a student at Western KY University, and was missing her last couple of weeks of classes to be by her mom's bedside. She stayed right there, holding her hand, rubbing her arms, and talking to her dad. Even though she was hurting deeply, she did not cry much. She would occasionally leave the room to get a pop and talk with many of her friends that were there too. Melody treated them all like her daughters, and they all loved her like she was their mom. For the most part, however, Meghan stayed right there.

During the funeral service, the family played a song by Brad Paisley, "When I get Where I am Going." The chorus includes the words,

"But when I get where I'm going, And I see my maker's face

I'll stand forever in the light Of His amazing grace

Yeah when I get where I'm going There'll be only happy tears.

I will shed the sins and struggles I have carried all these years.

And I'll leave my heart wide open, I will love and have no fear.

Yeah when I get where I'm going

Don't cry for me down here."

I happened to look over at Meghan just as those words were sung, and she looked at me. We held each other's gaze for a few seconds, and then out of what I am sure was a heart heavy with loss - she smiled at me. It was a smile that reflected her understanding that her mom was no longer fighting cancer, and she was in a much, much, better place. The long day was worthwhile if only just for that.

Celebrating Love and Friendship

Today is the 26th wedding anniversary of two of the best people in the world. Lance and Linda Richey (Linda is on the outside left, and Lance is on the outside right) were married on April 8th, 1983 in Aviano, Italy. The friendship Sue and I have with these two goes way back to a time when we were all in Europe together; Lance, Sue, and I were stationed at an Air Force base there in Aviano, and Linda was a missionary in a nearby city. Lance was my mentor, friend, and even though he was only two years older than me, he was my "Paul." He spent time with me, prayed with me, talked about the Lord with me, took me on ministry visits, and generally laid the spiritual foundation for much of what God has made of me today. It is no exaggeration to say that his influence in my life was huge. I thank God for him and his continued faithful friendship.

Lance and Linda got engaged, and when he asked me to be his best-man I was honored more than anyone would have believed. Linda, who was close friends with Sue, asked her to be her maid of honor, and there we all were on that April afternoon at the Aviano AB Chapel, witnessing the beginning of something beautiful. A little over a year later, in June of 1984, Lance and Linda were our attendants when we got married in North Dakota.

Over 27 years of friendship have gone by. We have been separated by thousands of miles, but have never been out of touch. Even though we lived on opposite sides of the nation, we have gone through job changes, the highs and lows of raising kids, moves, and good times and bad times together. The phone calls were often way too long, and the rare times we were together were way too short. Now that we live in KY and they live in NC, we can see each other more often but the visits still don't seem to be long enough. When I graduated from seminary, they came out to celebrate with us - what a precious gift! When we are together we laugh, cry, pray, drink coffee, talk about Jesus, eat, and laugh and cry some more. It is beautiful, and in my mind, the definition of what true fellowship and friendship is.

So, congrats to you, Lance and Linda! We pray that we will celebrate many, many, more anniversaries, and that we will enjoy many, many more years of our love and friendship. Ciao!

It Goes By Too Fast...

Last Saturday, Sue and I were going through some old photos from way back. I mean, WAY BACK when we living in Alaska and Oregon. Our intent was to weed out the duplicates, and throw away those pictures that you can't remember why you took them (you know what I mean). Anyway, as I was looking at some of the pictures of Andrew and Rachel when they were little, I realized in a new way what my parents always said to me..."Time goes by so fast."

It seems that just a few years ago we were teaching them how to ride bikes, and reading the Chronicles of Narnia to them. Wasn't it just a while ago that Andrew was earning his first Sparky award at AWANA? Wasn't it just a couple of years ago that Rachel got her first kitten? That hike up to Lookout Mt. - that wasn't that long ago, was it? Where did all that time go? What hit me the hardest was - I'll never have those days again. It makes me wonder if what I said to them was worthwhile, and if what we did together made any difference to them. Will their memories of their growing up years be fond ones, or sad ones?

Andrew and Rachel are both young adults now. Rachel lives and works on her own in Louisville. She has her own apartment and car. We help her a little by letting her come down and do her laundry, but other than that she is fully independent and doing pretty well as far as we can tell. Andrew shares an apartment with some other EKU students in Richmond, KY, and works and goes to college. He's grown into a responsible young man that any mom and dad would be proud of. Both of them are learning that life is not easy, but that God is always good. I pray for them every day and ask the Lord to keep drawing them closer to Himself. Outside of a few fatherly exhortations on the phone, that is about all I can do now.

When I put Josiah to bed that night, it was different. I hugged him and prayed with him and breathed in the smell of his freshly washed hair and just asked the Lord to help me enjoy being his dad. Because pretty soon he'll be out on his own too and all I'll have is pictures to remind me of these days. This time will go by too fast.

Tractors and Golf

Today I became an official "Deep Creeker." I finally got a tractor....a lawn tractor. Hey, everybody has to start somewhere, right? Its a used one, probably 5 or 6 years old, but it is in really good shape and I spent about half of what I would have if I had went after a used John Deere. Maybe some day I'll be worthy of a Deere, but not yet. Now I have to figure out how to mow this crazy yard that we live on. Stay tuned. I have a feeling that there are some really funny stories just around the bend.

Tonight, Sue and I played three holes of golf. The conditions were great, and the course was immaculate. One of the holes had a river running through it. Another hole was lined with beautiful pines, and had mountains in the backround. In case you haven't guessed - we were playing on Josiah's Wii. I have discovered that I am as bad on the video game as I am on the real course. My beautiful wife of almost 25 years, who has NEVER played a hole of golf in her life beat me by....I don't know how many strokes. Part of me wants to practice so I can win a few matches, but the time to do that is not real high on the priority list. We'll see.

Happy birthday to my Dad! 78 yrs young and still an inspiration to me! Love you!

A Song for Melody

I had the privilege today of visiting a woman who is dying of cancer. Some might think that is kind of a weird privilege, and I understand that. Spending time with people who are moving closer and closer to death can be a bit unnerving. What do you say? Somehow, "How are you doing?" just doesn't seem to be the right question. Besides that, deep down inside, we just don't like coming face to face with what everyone spends so much time trying to avoid thinking about. We will, however, face it someday. Maybe not through the ravages of a disease, but somehow, someway, it will come to us. That makes us more than a little uncomfortable - even those of us who believe in faith that the end of this life is just the beginning of life in the presence of God forever. After more than sixteen years of ministry, I still find visiting the dying one of the most difficult parts of being a pastor. And, after more than sixteen years of ministry I can say without a doubt that it is during those visits that God has most profoundly taught me things I would never learn any other way.

Like today. I have visited with Melody four or five times since I have become pastor at Deep Creek, and I have watched as she has fought with every fiber of her being to defeat the cancer. She always has a smile on her face, even through the tears that flow when she talks about her struggle. She has family, and lots of friends in the area. Many people are, and have been, there to help her with whatever she might need. When I ask if there is anything I can do, the answer is always no, "just keep praying." I do. The whole church does. Lots of people are. But, I always feel so useless.

Today, I called to see if she was up for a visit. I had heard that she was getting weaker, and that the inevitable was getting closer and I felt burdened to stop and see her. Surprizingly Melody answered the phone and told me that today wasn't going so well, but that I could stop by after noon for a short visit and some prayer. I asked if she needed anything or if there was anything I could bring to her - like always, she said no. Once again, I just felt so useless. Couldn't I do something? I just wanted to giver her something that would make her smile and encourage her. But, we are too far away from town to "buzz" in for a card or for a small flower arrangement. It was too short notice to cook her anything. I was at a loss and feeling pretty frustrated when I called Sue to tell her that I was going over after noon.

Just before I left my office, the phone rang. It was Sue. She is amazingly on time and the vessel that God uses in my life more than she could ever imagine. She said, "Why don't you stop by the house and pick up your guitar and play a song for her?" I was shocked by the question. Not that it is that strange, but that I had never thought of that. So, on the way to Melody's house, I picked up my quitar and took it with me.

After a few minutes of conversation with Melody and her mother, I asked her if I could sing Amazing Grace, My Chains are Gone. She said yes, and as soon as I started she began crying. During the song, she smiled and looked at me and I knew she was encouraged. We talked some more about the hope we have in Christ, and in His triumph over sin and death. Then, I asked her if I could sing I Will Rise (another incredible song by Chris Tomlin). She said yes. The truth is, the words of that song are so powerful, I didn't know if I could get through it! But I did, and when it was over, there was a peace in that room that was unbelievable. Melody and her mom genuinely thanked me for the songs, and then we prayed.

What a rich and wonderful time of ministry that was. I'm not sure how much Melody received from my visit, but I know I received a blessing. I was humbled to be used of the Lord in someone's life, by doing something so simple. Yes - visiting a dying woman today was a privilege.

Deep Creek

The church I pastor is named Deep Creek Baptist Church, but that isn't the name of the town we live in. We live in Harrodsburg, KY, and the church is about 10 miles west of town in a rural farming area. The church was established back in 1796 and is one of the oldest in the state. The cemetery that surrounds the church has several headstones with dates that go back to the civil war. The history of the church is an amazing one -one I am proud to have a small part in.

Just a couple of days ago, I was sitting in front of the church on the grass enjoying the beautiful day, the sound of the frogs in the woods, and the brush of the breeze on my face. All of a sudden the sense of history was almost overwhelming. You see, there is a congregational picture that was taken around the turn of the century (1900) hanging on the wall inside the church. Everyone is standing in front of the church not far from the spot where I was sitting. Most of the people in the picture are dressed in black. The men are wearing black coats and hats, and many of the women are wearing long black or white dresses with long sleeves and hats. The children in the picture look like small copies of the adults. There are a few slight smiles, but not too many. None the less, a hundred or more people were at church that day.

The people that live in our community and attend this church today, descendents of the folks in that picture, are strong. They have had to be. They didn't get electricity out here until the '50's and most families subsisted off of what they raised and not much else. They worked hard and helped each other through difficult times. The family units are close and fiercely protective. You don't say much about anyone, because (and this is the truth) they are all related. Really. I think that besides my family, there might be one other woman in attendance here who isn't related by blood or marriage. I have ceased to be surprized when someone I meet downtown tells me they have a cousin, aunt, uncle, brother or sister-in-law that attends Deep Creek.

That kind of scared me at first. But, I'm learning that the "toughness" of the folks in my church is something that is significantly lacking in our world today. Yes, it has its negative side, but there is a genuine strength and endurance and hospitality here that I value and respect deeply. These people will do just about anything they can for you. They sacrifice of their own to help meet the needs of others. Generosity spills out of them. I've witnessed it and have been blessed by it over and over again in the seven months we've been here. Its not anything new, its how they've learned to live. Its a lesson that needs to be taught more in the world we live in. Its a lesson I need to learn again.

Welcome to my blog!

I have long said that there are too many people writing blogs that really have nothing significant to say. I still feel that way, but have realized that nobody is forcing me to read EVERYONE'S blog, and that I can narrow down the blogs I read to the ones that actually have an impact on my thinking. Some of the blogs I read are pretty deep and require a little time to ponder the ramifications of what was written. Other blogs that I read are just the tool that people use to keep family and friends up to date on their comings and goings.

That being said, I don't expect everyone to read this blog, and it is certain that what I will write will probably not be that significant either. But, occasionally, I think of something that strikes me as worthy of being "thrown out there" for others to look at. And, it will be yet another way of keeping MY family and friends up to date on what is happening with me and my family (My parents don't do facebook. Honestly, I'm starting to wonder why I do!)

So, come back every once and a while and find out what I'm up to and what I'm thinking about. I promise the posts wont be real long and hard to follow, and you might find something that makes you laugh, cry, or just pray a little harder for me.