Home

...now browsing by tag

 
Bible/Scripture Choices Christian Living Christmas Church Death Doctrine Faith/Feelings Forgiveness Friendship Generosity God God's Plan God's Word Grace Humility Jesus Kindness Leadership Lifestyle Love Mercy Ministry Miscellaneous Opinion Parenting Perseverance Prayer Questions Quiet Time Reflection Resurrection Salvation Scripture look Second Coming Seeking Sin Speech Story Suffering Surrender Thanksgiving Trials Truth Telling Worship
 

October 28

Monday, October 28th, 2024

Where do I start?

Owen Valley Christian Fellowship (OVCF), the church I have pastored (I start my 20th year in November) just celebrated her 20th anniversary yesterday. I will draw your attention to the previous post here to get the story behind the story. My purpose in this post is to share with you some of what happened, but then to tell you where I have been the past two month in my preaching and to tell you how I brought it to a close.

WHAT WE SAW YESTERDAY:

  • We saw a lot of volunteers show up to set up and tear down and multiple things in between.
  • We sensed the presence of God as we sang and shared.
  • We heard some testimonies from people as to why they chose OVCF to be their home.
  • We experienced some really, really (did I say really) good food.  🙂
  • We also found out why we are looking forward to being in a larger auditorium that will be big enough for one service.

WHAT WE HAVE SEEN THE PAST TWO MONTHS:

The church has a “WELCOME HOME where…” outlook.  That can be seen in the series I just finished preaching:

The Gospel is Preached

Jesus is Honored

Grace is Offered

Lives are Changed

Obedience is Encouraged

Along the way I also talked about love and had messages on Ruth and Philemon. But the key to our ongoing future is being a place where people are welcomed. I concluded the series yesterday with a sermon on Luke 15:11-32 and the parable of the Loving Father/Lost Son. Due to the venue and the presence of tons of children (it is called antsy), I cut things fairly short by emphasizing the love and concern the father showed for his lost son. When he saw his son coming, he set aside all decorum and ran to him, putting his arms around him and welcoming him home. It didn’t matter what his son had done; all that mattered was that he came home. We are that son; God is that father. 

The purpose of home is to be a place of acceptance and love. A place of safety and refuge. Without compromising the truth of the Gospel, OVCF desires to be that kind of home. We aren’t always going to get it right, but we will always try to be the place people can call home.  Would you please pray for us as we continue seeking to put that into practice?

Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , , ,

May 28

Tuesday, May 28th, 2024

It has been a wild and wooly Memorial Day weekend. Instead of it being the laid-back-and-just-grill-a-hamburnger-or-bratwurst kind of holiday, mine was anything but laid back.  And just so you know…I am not complaining. At all. There are times in a pastor’s life where all kinds of stuff happens that takes one out of a routine.

It started Saturday when I found my Saturday being a busy one. Normally, I get up early and go to the office for 1-2 hours then head to the Y for about a 1-1 1/2 hour workout. Then after my shower I head back to the office where I study and pull things together for Sunday. Around 1 or 2:00 I normally head HOME where I relax, study, read and visit with Jo for the rest of the day. This past Saturday we had planned on attending a wedding on Saturday afternoon, but my Saturday afternoon was all different. I found myself visiting someone at the Hospice House in Bloomington and then running to the Bloomington hospital to see someone I had just found out was in. When I got HOME that afternoon it was time to eat and rest. I had told the folks that I would probably not be able to attend the wedding because of my visits and also the need to study.

Sunday seemed to go off without a hitch until the storm came through. We were done with our worship and people were milling around as the deluge hit and then the power went off. NOW THAT WAS FUN!!  Meanwhile, it is pouring like cats and dogs; people were getting soaked as they ran to their cars (even with umbrellas); and I hadn’t left the building. The rain slacked off until I decided to leave. Since I park at the back of the lot only one word can describe me. Can you say drenched?  At the same time we are expecting our daughter and her significant other to get here to drop her off for a few days. They get here and fortunately, we never lost power in town. After lunch and a short visit, I spent the rest of the afternoon at the office due to the hectic nature of this week and made my way HOME early evening.

Monday I came to the office to do my Encounter Time since Janna was sleeping in the living room and I didn’t want to wake her.  My slowed-down Monday took on a whole ‘nother dimension when I found myself going to the Hospice House again (for what may be my final visit) and then head to the hospital to visit two patients, one a new one with a stroke and an emergency surgery as a result. I finally made it HOME.

Today Janna has eye surgery with a follow up tomorrow and a trip to Ohio to take her to her home on Wednesday. Probably Thursday Jo and I will be back HOME.

You may be wondering: why the travelogue Bill? Notice the word I emphasized throughout the post. HOME. That word means different things to different people. HOME to me means a place of safety and security and love and acceptance and kindness and relaxation. A place of LOVE. Hmmmm sounds like what the church ought to be. And that is my focus these days. How can the church be a HOME? I have so much more to say and will…another time. This is already too long. But over the course of the next few weeks and months I will be sharing more of the church being a HOME.

Meanwhile, I may post tomorrow but will be out of commission until Monday. I’d appreciate your prayers for Janna’s surgery and our trip to Ohio and back.

Posted in InTheShadow | 10 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , ,