Being a Worshipper



Today is the fourth Sunday of our sabbatical, which means it is the fourth Sunday that we are worshipping in the pews (or chairs) as a family and not leading worship in one way or another.

It is a weird experience.

Sunday mornings are normally the busiest mornings of the week in our household, but during our sabbatical I have been able to sit back, do some devotions, drink coffee, watch the final round of the British Open, and let the girls wake up on their own.

The rush of the morning has slowed down.

A lot.

And as weird as it is, it is also nice.

The time that we have to eat together, worship together, just be together is a real blessing, and I am grateful for this time to just "be" with the family.

I am grateful to be the dad in the pew who hears his daughter give a strange answer in the children's sermon and just smile and laugh.

I am grateful to commune with my wife rather than give communion to my wife.

I am grateful to hear the Word preached and not think about what has to happen next in the service.

I am grateful to leave after the service and not wonder if I forgot to turn off a light or lock a door.

I have been grateful to be a worshipper.

And .. I am getting some great ideas to bring back when this sabbatical is over!

Rodeo, Worship, and seeing old friends

Two weeks ago we started our sabbatical by going back to Montana and celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first church I served. It was a wonderful, soul-filling trip.

On the way out we visited some dear friends in Odin, MN. They are good friends of mine from seminary who I hadn't seen in way too long.

We then went to Dickinson, ND. Due to the oil boom out there right now, that town is exploding. New buildings are going up everywhere. It was also in Dickinson that we got to go to a rodeo. It was Roughrider Days, so there were a number of activities going on, and the evening ended with bucking broncs, barrel racers, and mean bulls.

I loved it.

Back when I lived in Montana I went to rodeos quite often. The power of the animals, the courage (or craziness) of the cowboys, the speed of the horses...all of it amazed me. The girls enjoyed it, but not as much as dad did. Scarlett was upset though, because she wanted to go out and ride on the horse and didn't understand why she couldn't.

Luckily that was dealt with the next day.

We then went to Savage for the 100th anniversary celebration, and it was wonderful. I recognized many of the people from when I was last there, in 2000. I was reminded that I am aging because the first child I baptized is taller than me. And I missed a few people who have passed on.

After the service there was a nice lunch at the town hall, a time to visit and catch up. Then we went to a friend's ranch where the girls got to ride horses and we went for a hike.

It was a great day.

During my time in Savage I was reminded what a special place it is to me. It was here that I started my ministry, which meant I learned a lot by trial and error. I would come up with ideas and ways to share the gospel that may have been a little different, and they went along with it, forgiving me when I made a mistake, encouraging me as we moved forward, and showing me what grace is through their words and actions.

Savage was/is one of those "thin places" for me, where I feel the power of God in a very profound way. I have memories of hiking the dirt roads with my dogs, hunting with my dad, and fishing the Yellowstone while celebrating this amazing creation that God has blessed us with.

Savage is a place and filled with people who have left a mark on my soul, and when I drove in I felt the power of that place once again.

I was reminded how much I miss that entire area out there. Making that trip through North Dakota and into Montana was making a trip home.

Over the past few weeks, after returning to Wisconsin, I have been spending some time thinking about those "thin places." Places where we experience God is powerful ways. I believe we all have them, and they all touch us differently.

Savage, the Dakotas, Montana, wide open spaces - all of these are thin places for me. What are some of your thin places?

Taking A Knee

Back when I played football in high school the coach would often gather us up and yell for us to "take a knee." Then he would go into his speech of the day.

Whenever I heard the phrase "take a knee" I would think back to Billings Senior High and that coach.

Except earlier this week.

Earlier this week "take a knee" took a new meaning for me.

A little background first - the medication that I take for my cancer has a number of side effects. Luckily I do not get many of them. Occasionally I have some vision issues, but they are minimal and go away quickly.

But one thing that does happen is quite often I get light headed. It normally happens when I am getting up from the chair, but sometimes is delayed until  I have taken a few steps.

Earlier this week the girls were at school, Jennifer was off doing some work, and I was home alone. As I walked into the kitchen I was hit with a head rush.. It was one of the more severe ones I have had, and I had to take a knee in order to avoid losing my balance.

It is a strange sensation realizing you have to do something to avoid collapsing.

It passed quickly, as it normally does. But for a few minutes I remained on my knee, thinking about what had just happened.

It is times like this, as rare as they are, that I reminded that I am still battling this cancer.

I can go days and not think about cancer. I can take my pills, go to doctors appointments, and live my life pushing the idea of cancer to the back of my mind.

But sometimes I am faced with a pretty blunt reminder. I am still fighting this disease.The fight is going well. I am in remission. But the battling is ongoing.

So as I was down on that knee having this reminder take place, I was also reminded about how blessed I am. I am blessed not only in the medical advances they have made, but I am also blessed with the support, guidance, and love of those around me.

And it is through them that I am blessed to see the face of God.

Eventually I got up, and having forgotten what I was going into the kitchen to get, returned to the living room and spent some time writing down the names of all the people who are blessings to me. It was a tangible reminder of many ways God continues to be active in my little part of the world.

So the next time you need to take a knee, why not spend some time down there and reflect on the people who are blessings to you.

Sabbatical starts with a sick child, leaking roof, and water in the basement



This week we start a six-week sabbatical, and it kicked off with a bang. On the first day we were awakened at 3:00 am with a sick Scarlett. After getting her settled we went in the basement and found water due to the massive rains we have been getting. Then, after dropping Sierra off at summer school, I was led into the bedroom to see water marks on the ceiling. A tree limb fell and punched a fist sized hole through the roof.

Today, all things are a little better. Scarlett is her normal busy self, the water in the basement is gone, and the hole has been repaired.

So today, hopefully, the sabbatical really begins.

The sabbatical is a time for us to take a break from the busyness of the church life, refresh and renew our souls a little, do some studying, and do some traveling with the family.

Our first trip is to eastern Montana. We will be heading out to my first call, in Savage, MT, where they will be celebrating their 100th Anniversary. I am excited to go back to this church that helped to form me as a pastor and see the people. On our way we will be visiting some old friends, go to a rodeo (which the girls are almost as excited about as I am), and spend some time in the badlands (which I think is some of the most beautiful country around).

I have a couple of books I plan on reading during this time, and I am looking forward to being able to travel and not worry about getting back in time for some work event.

I will be updating our sabbatical journey over the next few weeks. Off we go...

Moments

One of the things I have tried to do over the years is slow down and look for those "God Moments" that pop up every once in a while. These are the times when you see God at work in wonderful ways - sometimes they are big moments, other times they are small little things. But they are always moments when God shows up and does something that is either unexpected or very much needed in our lives.

These God moments are a continual reminder that God has a deep interest in our lives. It is not like God is out there, just sitting in heaven, watching everything take place with amusement on his face, but rather he is active and present in our lives. God cares about us. He has a deep, loving, parental desire to be involved in what we do, and he wants to be involved with us. God moments are those times when we see the face of God appear - sometimes through others, sometimes just out of the blue.

But sometimes we miss these moments. I have written about this before - sometimes we are so busy with everything going on in life that we miss seeing God at work right in front of us. We get so consumed with the daily grind that we miss the loving touch and gift of grace that God gives to us.

So, we are called to slow down. To take time to look at the beauty of creation around us. To call an old friend. To share a gift of grace with another. When we do this, we are more apt to see what God is doing around us, to us, and through us.

So take some time today, slow down, and ask God - what are you doing today, and how can I be a part of it. I am sure you will be amazed at the answers you get.

Seeing God

I am a huge country music fan. I love the music, the lyrics, the style, etc. One of my favorite artists is George Strait. He has a new song out entitled "I Saw God Today." It is a great song about see the hand of God in both the big and the little things.

I was listening to this song as I was driving back from Minnesota earlier this week and I started to think about all the places I saw God in the previous week - the time Scarlett grabbed my hand without me asking for it, when Sierra was practicing her pitching, got a strike, and smiled like crazy, the person who chased some garbage down the street, the joy of watching the girls and Jennifer plant flowers in the front yard and the list goes on and on.

God is active in so many and different ways every day of our lives. Sometimes we miss seeing him because we are running, not paying attention, or just consumed by the busy-ness of our lives. But even when we don't see him, he is still there - doing what God does - loving, building up, caring for, blessing, etc.

So today - where have you seen God? What has he been doing in and around your life? Take a moment and celebrate the gifts of God by seeing where he is and what he is doing with you. May we all see God each and every day of our lives.

Joy Comes in the Morning

 

This week our season of swim lessons is coming to an end. Every year week take the summer off and then resume in the fall. Sierra was amazing as usual, she is a wonderful swimmer.

This was Scarlett's first year of swim lessons, and she progressed a lot. But Scarlett was also Scarlett, she love to play during lessons too. There are times when she would stand on the edge of the pool and dance. She was singing to herself, twirling around on the edge of the pool. There were numerous times I had to tell her to stop so that she wouldn't slip and fall in, and so that she would listen to her teacher.

But in those times when she was dancing, I saw a look of pure joy on her face. She was loving her time at the pool, meeting new friends, and dancing to some tune that was playing in her head. I loved watching it happen.

Joy is one of those things that we are short on in our lives. We see the negative, we see the problems, we see and hear things that tear all of us down. And joy is often lost in the rat race we call life.

Wouldn't it be great if we all had those tunes playing in our heads, and we could just stand up and dance, celebrating the joy of life?

In the book of psalms there is a line that says, "Joy comes in the morning." Quite often this line is used to help get us through the tough times in life. But you know what, the morning is here. The morning is now. We are given joy right now because of what Christ has done for us - and we are invited to celebrate God's many gifts with joy and celebration. Joy is here - but do we see it?

So today, may we all see the joy of life. May we celebrate and dance and sing, because we are so blessed and given so many opportunities in our lives. May we have our eyes opened to joy.