The Journey

I Corinthians 13:11  When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.

I received a telephone call today from the interim pastor of a church I served years ago here in town. He informed me that the family of a member had requested that I return to help with his mom’s memorial service on Sunday. Unfortunately I am already assisting with a memorial service of a clergy member of our conference, a retired District Superintendent, who was part of our congregation in Pleasant Garden, which I served for eight years. So I had to decline, and I really hated to decline because this lady was one of the sweetest ladies I have ever been fortunate enough to have known.

Her name was Louise Marshall. Many years ago I held the service for her husband and then one for her niece. One of the things that made Louise so special was that she made you feel special no matter who you were. On our birthday, anniversary, Christmas, thanksgiving, every holiday or special day we would receive a card from Louise. She hardly ever missed. She brought cheer, she touched our hearts… and kept touching them over the years. And it made us feel so good to know that someone took the time to remember us.

Something so small brought such deep smiles… We will forever remember her and remain thankful to her.

That brings up a touchy point with us weird clergy people. I have always made it a practice to invite former pastors back to assist in Memorial services because they have a relationship with the members that I do not have. My relationship with the members is deep and special but so are the relationships built with former pastors. They were there when family members went through deep and troubling events in their lives and it built a special bond between them. If I were to deny them coming back to help, I am denying the family of a depth of ministry I cannot give.

For some of us clergy types it appears as if we are not in charge when we allow former pastors to come back, or somehow it impedes the building of pastoral relationships. I have had families ask for me to come back and the pastor has told them “It is against Conference policy.” Other pastors would call me and ask me not to come back so they can build their relationship with the congregation. Then there are those political pastors who say: “This would be a good time for a new pastor to build relationships but you do what you feel is best.” What they really mean is I want you to tell me you can’t come so I can tell the family you SAID you can’t come, but I really don’t want you to come into my garden. Is it immaturity? Is it insecurity? Is it that someone may like another pastor more than they like you? I really don’t get it!

I thought we were in the vocation of ministry not stardom. Aren’t we seeking to help those in our flock… or is it help only if the help comes alone from us? I am afraid that the human-ness of our brother/sisterhood in ministry is showing way too much, and not enough of our unity in Spirit and love.

I also know the other side of the coin where every time you turn around a certain former pastor is visiting your members. The only thing missing is they are not in the pulpit with you on Sunday mornings… or are they? There is a clergy family I know of who are death to any clergy who follow them. They are always back in the work. They know of a death in your church before you do. People always call on them, stay in touch with them, even vacation with them. They are the “most loving people you could ever want to know.” Nothing is ever done about it… just talk. So what do we do?

For me I try not to be insecure or jealous or any of those things that keep ministry from happening in and around me, through me or others. When I am in doubt I do question why I would not want this person to come back. If they have an ax to grind or were particular trouble makers at the church I am serving the invitation probably would not be forthcoming. If they are pastors with a good heart and a caring spirit, who care about this church and the people, I would invite them to come home. There is not really anything I can do about whether I am invited back or not. That will always be up to the current pastor, as it should be. I pray that I will be gracious and understanding when the invitation doesn’t come or comes in a way that actually says no. I have been less that gracious sometimes when that has happened in the past, and I am working through that in my own soul now.

Brothers and sisters we need to find a way to get along for the sake of the kingdom and the ministry we seek to proclaim. If our people see us at odds with each other, how can we expect them to listen to us when we say to them… come together in love.

Forgive us Lord, when we clergy act too much like little children fighting over a toy or a place to play. May we put away childish things and come together in love, in and through Jesus. Amen.

A list of my eBooks are in the bottom of the heading above. Just click on the title and it will take you to Amazon where you can sample, read, purchase, and review each book. I hope they will bring you comfort and strength in time of need. If you find them a good read please leave a good review on Amazon. Thanks so very much. Steve

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Mark 1:4-8: And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with[a] water, but he will baptize you with[b] the Holy Spirit.”

Several of my colleagues have mentioned the renewal of Baptism Liturgy which took place in their congregations Sunday. After attending the early service at my own church, Shirley and I watched Myers Park UMC streaming their service (something we do on a regular basis). Dr. Howell led the congregation through the liturgy of the renewal of Baptism. It took a while to accomplish but it was a holy moment in the life of this church and the lives of these people.

One of the illustrations he used in his sermon was the splash of water in your face that is so refreshing, renewing, restoring, so reminding us of who we are… and whose we are. He mentioned riding on his bicycle on a hot day and seeing a lawn sprinkler spraying out into the street or maybe on the side walk, and turning his bike so that he rides right through that spray. The spray in the face is so refreshing… awakening.

I remember the cold water splash in the face on a hot summer day. I had not connected it with Baptism until James intentionally rides through the sprinkler. I sought to remember how that water felt as it splashed in my face and ran down my body. It was refreshing and renewing. Prior to it I was just about spent in the heat of the day. But now I have found a renewed strength to make it through more of the game, more energy to give more of myself to the tasks before me.

Certainly Baptism is God’s adoption of us into God’s family. From time to time we forget that we have given ourselves to God and seek to be disciples. Splashes of water come along every once in a while and we are able to do as Martin Luther says: “Remember our Baptism.” Every time we hear the Bible read; every time we see the cross of Christ; every time we see love in action: every time we feel that tug upon our souls to go into the world to lift the lives of those in need, and in many other times… we remember our Baptism … remember our family… remember our God… remember our calling.

As someone has said we need to live wet. May we live wet remembering our Baptism.

Dear Lord, splash the renewing and refreshing waters of Baptism in my face and help me to remember your love is for all your children, in and through Jesus. Help me to live wet. Amen.

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My hero all these years has been John Wayne… little known as Marion Morrison. I always liked him because of what he stood for and how he lived his life. There is another Marion in my life. He was a United Methodist pastor, District Superintendent, colleague and friend. Marion died Thursday afternoon at Cone hospital with complications from a stroke. Our son called to let us know and then we saw it popping up all over Facebook. Everyone spoke about this man of God.

I first met Marion Workman when he and Howard Allred conspired (as District Superintendents) to move me to my first appointment after seminary – Triplett UMC in Mooresville. From there Marion moved to Greensboro to become the pastor at Centenary UMC. After only about three years there he had a stroke and decided that it was time to retire.

He and Mary moved back to Pleasant Garden and began attending PGUMC (which they had served many years ago). It was a homecoming for them as the people opened their arms and hearts to welcome them home.

I was privileged to serve PGUMC for 8 years while Marion and Mary were in that congregation. And I really mean privileged because Marion was one of the wisest men I have ever known. He was gracious and caring. His thoughts went much deeper than I even thought to go. He cared deeply about the church. His smile always went before him… what a great smile that came all the way from the heart. He was a great mentor and friend.

The loss of Marion Workman to PGUMC is great because I believe he is the heart and soul of that church. We all looked to him as that constant example of faith and life, grace and love, discipleship and devotion. As we looked to him he always pointed us beyond himself to God above.

I have always loved how he spoke about the “heavenly country.” I had never heard that phrase till I got to PGUMC. And when Marion used theses words: “Heavenly Country” he spoke from his soul as if he had been there. You could hear it in his voice. I know he is now in that heavenly country with all the wholeness, love and peace it brings.

Now there is one thing we all will remember. When he and Mary were in different high schools they were both on the debating team. Neither one liked to lose a debate. This filtered into their marriage. When they had a discussion that would not end, Marion devised a way to allow the debate to be over without anyone losing. He would finally say to Mary: “You may be right.” That became a real joke around the church. They loved to laugh and carry on a lot of fun stuff.

We will miss them terribly at PGUMC. We are saddened by our loss but excited for Marion as he stepped into the heavenly country. God bless you Marion, and thank you for all your love and care for us all these years. You truly have been a God-send.

Till we meet again, my friend.

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This novel is the true-life tale of Louis Zamperini, the Olympic track star who survived a plane crash in World War II, only to fight for his life against nature and eventually as a prisoner of war. Louis  grows up a rough-hewn kid on the verge of becoming a full-on delinquent, until his brother starts training him to be a track star. He excels at the sport, and eventually represents America at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. During his training, he learns to become resilient and disciplined; his brother’s words of advice, “If you can take it, you can make it,” push him to overcome any adversity.

He must live up to that adage under the most extreme circumstances after his plane is shot down during another bombing raid. He is stranded at sea for more than a month, only to be found by the Japanese and forced to endure constant physical abuse at the hands of sadistic prison-camp guard Mutsuhiro Watanabe, who wants to break Louis’ indomitable spirit.

Louie, with his defiant and unbreakable spirit, was Watanabe’s victim of choice. By war’s end, Louie was near death. When Naoetsu was liberated in mid-August 1945, a depleted Louie’s only thought was “I’m free! I’m free! I’m free!” But as Hillenbrand shows, Louie was not yet free. Even as, returning stateside, he impulsively married the beautiful Cynthia Applewhite and tried to build a life, Louie remained in Watanabe’s clutches, haunted in his dreams, drinking to forget, and obsessed with vengeance. With no help for their as yet unrecognized illness, Hillenbrand says, “there was no one right way to peace; each man had to find his own path….” The book’s final section is the story of how, with Cynthia’s help, Louie found his path. This is a riveting tale of heroism, cruelty, life, death, joy, suffering, remorselessness, and redemption.

I haven’t seen the movie, only the trailers, other ads and interviews with him. But I need to.

You see today I visited with Mark in prison and he tells me that he loaned this book to an atheist friend of his in prison without telling him what happens in the book. You see Louie was almost destroyed (broken) by the war and all that happened to him. His life was in ruins, drinking every day, drunk all the time, nightmares about the cruelty, and his wife was leaving him. But she went to hear this new young evangelist named Billy Graham. She was converted to Christianity and decided not to divorce Louie. But she kept after him to go and hear Billy. He did and his life was changed forever… he had a new life.

Mark’s friend came back to talk with him after he read the book and unexpectedly  found Billy Graham. He and Mark talked. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was some seed planted because a friend loaned a book about being “unbroken” to a friend who was broken and didn’t know it!!!

Every story about courage in the face of cruelty, about being and remaining unbroken is worth telling. I pray that we all will feel unbroken, whatever we are facing, because of the  love of Christ. Amen.

PS. Please remember our next door neighbor, Whitney (26) years old who has spent most of Nov. & Dec. in the hospital needing a liver transplant. She is not on the list and not sure she can get on it.

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1 Corinthians 3:16  Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

He was dirty and he smelled. I almost tripped over him lying on the sidewalk — drunk as a skunk and “out of it” as they say. My Methodist tradition had taught me to see Jesus in everyone. But this was a bit much. It was very hard to see any shred of revelation or glory or good news at my feet.

I didn’t even think of trying to do anything for Mark, who was clearly past any hope of transformation. But, over the months, I got to know and befriend this old wino. Beneath all his external appearances there eventually emerged a gentle soul — it was like finding a diamond in a dung heap.

As time went by, Mark joined me in some retreat times with Father Louie at the Prayer Center. He loved the forest and the small wild animals, he listened in awe to the song of the birds, and was delighted at the movements of tiny insects and bugs. Mark, the wino, made me think of St. Francis.

Walking through the woods near St. Francis’ Springs Prayer Center in Stoneville, I noticed a table leg sticking out from beneath the under-growth. It had probably been abandoned years ago and was overgrown with wild bushes and brambles. But I observed carvings on the legs of the table like grapes and vine leaves, and I knew that once it must have been quite beautiful. Mark and I pulled the table from beneath the bushes and carried it to a member’s empty building. It stood — large and painted red. But I could see the carvings on the legs…

“I’ll fix it!,” declared Mark. With a piece of broken glass he began to scrape. Beneath the red paint was green paint. And the old man scraped. Beneath the green paint was brown paint. And the old man scraped. For six weeks he scraped. Until one day, there it was — a beautiful antique oak carved table in all its original natural beauty. Mark stood by the table. And I felt God say: “The table is Mark, and Mark is the table.”

For me it was an epiphany — a revelation of something beautiful and true beneath a reality of external appearances. It was a new perception.

Dear Lord, I know in my own heart and mind that it is often very difficult to see you in others, especially those who have misused me or mistreated me. It is hard for me to see the worth they have within them. Help me to use this story of Mark to remind me that you are in us all, and therefore all of us are of great value. Help me keep scraping back the coatings of paint I have placed on those I devalue until I see you standing there with open arms, in and through Jesus. Amen.

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Matthew 2:10-11   When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

I saw Bob Griese the other day as an announcer/commentator on one of the football games, and it brought back some memories of that name. I did a little checking into his story.

The Rose Bowl back in 1998 saw the Cougars of Washington State, who hadn’t gone to the Rose Bowl in 67 years, battle Michigan. As it turned out, it was a great football game, Michigan barely won, and there was tension to the very last two seconds of the game…all of which made it an entertaining game to watch.

The most valuable player of the game was the quarterback from Michigan. His name was Brian Griese, the son of the famous professional football quarterback from Miami who won several Super Bowls, and this same famous father was doing the TV commentating on the Rose Bowl and proudly watching his son perform so well that day.

But this is the story that wasn’t told that day on TV but I read in a newspaper. When Brian, the son, was twelve years old, his mother was dying of cancer. His older siblings had already left home, and young Brian was fully present to absorb the pain of losing his mother. After his mother died, he and his famous dad were now home alone, his dad having to learn how to cook the breakfast eggs and take care of his son’s daily needs. The father and son bonded in a special way, sharing both their mother’s death and the subsequent years together. Ultimately, Brian went to Michigan University although his father had gone to Purdue. There at Michigan, Brian was a good player, but not a great player, but elected to come back for his fifth year to be the quarterback of this great Michigan team.

While at the University, in addition to his football life and the normal activities of being a young scholar\athlete, he spent his Thursday nights visiting the local hospital. Being a leader, he always took other athletes along. Gradually, the hospital staff began to expect young Brian Griese on Thursday nights; that was his regular pattern.

Well, there was this young woman who was involved in an automobile accident, suffered a spinal injury and was to be confined to her wheelchair for the rest of her life. She enjoyed Brian Griese calling on her because he cheered her up. He didn’t give her sympathy but deeply admired her courage. Time went by, and while in the hospital, she and Brian became friends during those regular Thursday night visits. Eventually, she asked Brian if he would escort her to her Senior Prom. He declined, not wanting to draw attention to himself, not wanting to cross inappropriate boundaries. He told his friends about the invitation, and they told him he made a mistake, that he should honor her request and take her to the Prom. So he did. He danced with her in her wheelchair throughout the night, picked her up with his strong arms and danced with her without the wheelchair. It was an electric night, filled with emotion for all who were there. And Brian Griese felt it was his humble honor to escort such a courageous woman as this, a young woman who had much more courage and inner strength than he did.

You see, Brian Griese is a devout young Christian, and he gives all of his giftedness to God: his athletic abilities, his good home life, his wonderful mothering, his fathering who coached him in special ways to be a quarterback, but Brian also gave his gift of compassion.

Where did Brian learn this gift of such compassion for this young woman? I would guess that he learned it during his mother’s battle with cancer. During those long months, I would guess that Brian learned a quality of empathetic compassion that many people never learn. His great tragedy in his life, the loss of his mother, eventually was transformed and matured into being a gift, a gift of empathetic compassion for people in difficult circumstances. Yes, he gave all of his gifts to God.

Dear Lord, help us to give our all to you in service to others. May our lives be so gifted that we may lift someone up to where they feel electric, in and through Jesus. Amen.

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Jesus was asked: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. Matt 22:36-40 (Amp)

How many of you made New Year’s resolutions this year? Most of us do in some degree or fashion. Most of the time it has to do with our heath… “I am going to get in better shape this year.” or our weight… “I am going to lose a certain amount of weight this year.” Some have to do with work…  “I am going to get that promotion or sale the most this year.”

Most of our resolutions seem to have to do with something for me, myself and I. My weight, my health, my job, my etc. What if we could change our resolutions this year to reflect relationships. I believe this is critical to everything going on in our lives. When we have relationship problems which we do not deal with in positive ways we can sometimes let the problem grow to the point where it takes over our better selves. That one bad relationship can spread to affect other relationships in a negative way.

So what should we do if we want to make relationships a resolution for 2015? I think I would begin by coming to a clear understanding of what God wants me to do. Know that Jesus said: “the two greatest commandments are to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and to love your neighbor as yourself.” These words of Jesus must become words we live by… words that guide our lives. Once we start believing that loving God and neighbor makes a difference in us and all that we do… we will seek to love more.

The second thing for me would be to realize that I am part of the broken relationship. I have a role it in. So I need to examine how things became broken and the role I played in it. I need to meditate upon it, pray about it and come to a calm understanding of what the situation has become.

Then I need to take the first step toward repairing it. So I make the call, the visit, the move. I cannot wait for the other person to come to me. I take the first step. It may not work. It may never work. However, we need to make the move believing that if we will keep our cool, swallow a little pride, and put restoration of the relationship above all agendas, it has a better chance of working.

So change your mind, your heart, your spirit to know that God wants you to love him and your neighbor. Wrap any broken relationship in prayer and meditation, and with God make the move to heal the relationship. You just may make a best friend.

Dear Lord, I know I allow broken relationships to exist perhaps even foster deeper divides in those breaks. Help me in 2015 to learn to love you more by loving my neighbors, especially the ones with whom I hold ill feelings. Do this in and through Jesus. Amen.

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Imagine by John Lennon

Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today

Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace

You, you may say
I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one
I hope some day you’ll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world

You, you may say
I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one
I hope some day you’ll join us
And the world will live as one

Last night just before the ball dropped in Times Square O.A.R. sang John Lennon’s Imagine. I immediately came to the computer to jot down this thought… beginning my first blog for 2015.

This song started me thinking about what we imagine or do we imagine.

I remember being in downtown Greensboro around the age of 8 or 10. My brother and I were going to the Carolina Theater. On that trip we saw signs that reads “Whites Only” at restaurants, bathrooms, even water fountains. I must admit that I wondered about that but I did not imagine what it really meant, that it was wrong, or that I should be living my life in a way where segregation of races would not be a time honored tradition but against the law of the land and the rule of love and brotherhood. It took many years, loss of life, and a lot of strife before people stood up and imagined no more.

Imagine all the people sharing all the world…. If we would stop long enough and go deep or wide enough to allow God to influence our imagination, we could allow God to change the world through us. Lennon said: “Imagine a brotherhood of man… all the people sharing all the world.” All the things Lennon is mentioning are things that, wrongly used, come between love and acceptance and create a world where hate is elevated to a higher level.

Our religion can foster division if it does not allow room for God to move, speak and create. Our philosophy of life can be so exclusive that it doesn’t allow room for all people who are different from us. Solidly holding on to a static philosophy allows us to label people and dismiss every good thought about them.

Perhaps this year of 2015 we can give our imagination to God – really give it to God – and allow God to use us to change the world to where we actually do become a brotherhood of man… all the world over.

I remember a story told of a young seminary student who was coming home to preach in his home church. He worked tirelessly on his sermon. Finally he came downstairs to get his grandmother’s approval. She read his manuscript throughly and laid it down. He said: “Grandma, what do you think?” She answered: “Keep working on Love, son. Keep working on love.” That is the imagination we need in 2015. Imagine us working on love till all of us realize we are brothers and sisters of the same Father.

Dear Lord, help us Imagine Your love covering the whole wide world in and through Jesus. Amen.

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2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Well, looks like old 2014 is on the way out and a brand new year is on the way in. Just a few hours away and 14 is over – good or bad, and 15 is here – good or bad. How are you approaching the end of the year this year – any different? Shirley and I are. Usually she gets the New Year’s Day meal ready. You know, the pork, greens, black eyed peas – the healthy, wealthy and wise. And we gather the family over for the meal, good conversation, football, etc. Shirley has purchased all the food stuff, but there is one little problem this year. She is on the couch with a temp over 100, chills, a could be at any moment upset stomach, cough, and a generally yucky feeling.

It is harder to stay up to midnight just to watch a ball drop v-e-r-y slowly and nothing really happens when it reaches the bottom. No kaboom. Just confetti, kissing, shouting, and the playing of Auld Lang Syne. Well, I like the kissing part, the sipping of champaign, and the thoughts behind the song.

Not sure what I will do tonight with Shirley (my sidekick) out of commission? I guess I’ll have her glass of champaign also, kiss her on the forehead, and think about how we have messed up 2014. I wish I could say it was a stellar year, but we all know that is not the case. The racial tension in this country is just crazy. My fear is that it will lead to more trouble and death rather than better understanding and sensitivity to each other’s needs.

I am troubled by all the senseless killing of children – helpless children. It seems like every week or so a little child is killed by their parents or some close relative. If they do not want the children can’t they just take them to a hospital, police station, somewhere they can be helped and saved?

Wars, the rattling of sabers and drawing of lines around the world seems to be shouting out to the world – watch out – we still haven’t learned to get along with each other. And Isis seems to be pointing the world toward some kind of grand religious war because they want us to be them and we want to be us. They interpret their god saying kill while we interpret our God saying love. I am afraid there will be a reckoning at some point.

Some of the good stuff that has happened in this 2014 is that my health seems some better. My heart seems to be staying in rhythm more than it was earlier this year. The diabetes seems less of a problem since I am staying right at the borderline of being pre-diabetic. I hope that is a good thing. Still have low energy and terrible feet pain. Shirley seems to be doing really well (except for today).

I published two ebooks this year: A devotional book entitled “Daily Moments with Pastor Steve (on iTunes) and a book of talks, sermons for Lent entitled “Sayings of Noah; The Four Year Old Theologian (on Amazon). It was confusing and exciting to get this done. Matter of fact I was looking on Amazon’s book list today, searching under my name to find the book written about Noah. Using my name only it found the book on the 11th page right between Stephen Brown’s book on “Scurvy” and Stephen Cox’s book “Hooterville Handbook.” I had to laugh at that one. I just finished today publishing the third ebook. It is entitled: “The Grieving Heart: Up-Lifting Funeral Homilies” (on Amazon). I have compiled some 55 funeral messages to help people during their times of grief. These sermons are ones that I have delivered over the years to people in times of dealing with a death in their family. It is not a grand masterpiece, just seeking to touch a wounded heart with everyday words and stories.

Perhaps tonight would be better served if we spend some time in positive, creative meditation about how God would have us be part of the solution to the world’s problems rather than part of the problem? Allow that meditation to move and grow until you have an affirmation that the path you are traveling is the one God is walking. If we could do that I believe that 2015 could be a stellar year for all concerned.

Dear Lord, Move us in the direction of peace, love, understanding and the welfare of all people of the world. Touch us, move us, nudge us until we make a difference in and through Jesus. Amen.

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Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Last night we got together with family in from Virginia at one of the local restaurants. Well, we arrived at a prearranged time and everyone settled in with our catching up hugs and conversations. There are eleven of us and most restaurants are not equipped to seat eleven people so all eleven people can see and hear all eleven people. You are usually at these small tables pushed together in this long row. I could see the people at the other end but I couldn’t hear them. So we are all kind of limited to conversations with those around us (either side and ones across from us). Shirley’s conversation is with her sister so I just try to listen to most of what they are saying.

I have been assigned the seat on the end of one side of this row on the corner. Shirley is sitting beside me. No one is on my right side (the side of my married ear). Her sister is across from me but talks so softly that I (with poor hearing) can hear only a word every now and then. So to be part of what is going on I look around and smile at someone/anyone who just happens to look my way. For some reason I believe that keeps me in the loop – in the moment with the family.

But there is this other distraction to the one sitting down on the end, at the corner. Way across the room (at the bar) are two televisions. The Panthers are on one and the Packers are on the other. They are too far away for me to hear. I can barely see the players. No hope of seeing the score. So I judge who is winning by the reactions of the players. If they are jumping up and down I figure they must be winning. Then Aaron Rogers (whom I think is a great quarterback) falls down, gets hurt and is taken to the locker room on that little golf cart. My first impression is “Oh no not Aaron… what a big blow that would be to his team.”

Well, I am looking (not really watching) toward these games around these little statues on the dividers between us and the televisions way across the room. I am not really in the games because they are so far away, and not really in the moment with family members because I can’t hear what is going on around me. They all have their own conversations going. They are laughing, the kids are involved with the other kids. Everyone is having a good time.

Yesterday I wrote about keeping the Christmas season alive longer through more family time and less football distractions. I am not really sure what I could have done differently last night. I didn’t cheer, jump up and down when someone scored. I just quietly squinted in the direction of the televisions hoping to have some understanding of what was happening. That is kinda what I was doing with the family as well… hoping that I would catch a word every now and then and know a little of what was happening at our table.

Logistics was the problem at the restaurant. Perhaps the only thing that could have changed my predicament was to have moved my chair to where I could see and hear and carry on a conversation with someone. But I am not sure where that would have been. No, I didn’t practice what I preached. I didn’t even get in the pulpit.

Today let me change up things and ask you what you would have done or what you think I should have done. I would love to hear from you.

Dear Lord, sometimes we get ourselves in a predicament simply by where we are seated… unable to make conversation with those about us. Help us to know what to do and how to stay involved in the lives of those we love, in and through Jesus. Amen.

Books By Dr. Martin

The Sayings of Noah

Daily Moments with Pastor Steve

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