Take Two

I’m back home from meeting our district board yesterday. Always a good time and nice to get their input on what we’re doing (unless we’re in trouble, which we’re not). The board is meeting at the Maumee Bay Resort which is really nice and sits on Lake Erie just east of Toledo. It’s about a three house drive from my house to there.  I got done with my presentation in about half an hour (a new personal record) and had dinner with the board and Ken Dillingham who is my counterpart in Home Missions.  Rather than making the long trek home at 9:00 last night, I spent the night and came home early this morning.  There is nothing more enjoyable than the sound of “Daddy!” when you enter the front door.

The logo above was designed by Wil Rowland who is a graphic designer, children’s evangelist, and member of my board.  I thought it did a great job of conveying our message for Sunday School.   I’ll have more on that later as well.  In the meantime, lots to do.

My job is great in that it takes me to a lot of interesting and great cities- New York, Boston, Parma.  You get the point.  But however much I love visiting these great metropolises (metropoli?), I love coming home to beautiful Mount Vernon, Ohio.

Why?  Here’s something I have not seen in New York, Boston, or Parma.  A squirrel came down our chimney into the living room fireplace and ran around the first floor of my house.  It nearly knocked itself out trying to go out of every (closed) window in the house (for God’s sake, it’s 50 degrees here).  Finally, he found his way out the front door and almost into the arms of our cat.  A very near frying pan to fire experience.

Now that I’ve had all of the excitement I can handle, we’re going over to a friend’s house for dinner.  Being Mount Vernon, it just may be squirrel.

Becky sent this to me. It’s also available on Sermon Spice. Enjoy.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsPBVNecOMo]

1 Timothy 3:1
3:1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work .
KJV

My pastor reads this verse to every person who comes to him expressing a desire for ministry. If you know him, you know he puts the emphasis on the last three words. While I am certainly not a seasoned elder, I have been in ministry long enough that I would no longer consider myself green. My presbyter tells me that when he is in he pulpit it’s the only time he can come up for air. I completely understand that.

I am meeting with our district board in next week in lovely Toledo at Maumee Bay. This meeting is outline and get approval for the programs the Sunday School wants to do next year. It is not a minor undertaking. My superintendent has graciously outlined everything he wants to see and how he wants to see it. Some folks thinks that’s a pain. I’d rather have clear instructions. So I’m working on that plus I need a quizmaster as mine resigned (I think I know what I’m doing with that but need to speak with the district board) and there’s a lot of other things going on right now, including a trip back to New York the week after next.

As usual, 229 words in I have a point. Ministry is more than spotlight, the pulpit, fried chicken or anything else you may think it is. It’s hard work. I was looking at a slide show on Sister Elms blog and chuckled to myself. The pictures of the installation are beautiful and the church looks great but behind all of the the pastor, his family, and the leadership of that church put in a ton of work (and it shows). Mark Johnston made a great statement at General Conference this year. It was remarked before he came to speak that he had recently had a record attendance at his church. His point was while the record was great there is a story on how he got from the beginning to the record. That part is called work. Sometimes, we forget about the tears and sacrifice along the way.  They are what make the goal possible.

If you desire the office of a bishop, make sure you know what you’re in for.

I had lunch with Brother L.J. today.  He’s going to try to put the audio and/or video up on the church web site in the next couple of days.

Next week, he is going to address MySpace with the church.  It should be excellent as well.

When I first started preaching, my pastor told me that whatever I said across the pulpit had to pass the “who cares” test.  Specifically, if, when I finish preaching, the congregation could look at me and say, “who cares?” then I have failed in my charge as a minister.  The best preaching requires a decision or action on the part of the hearer.  Billy Graham was (and is) a master of this.

Tonight, Brother L.J. Harry did perhaps one of the best Bible studies I have ever heard.   His charge was not to discuss the tabernacle, the feasts, or the beauty of the cross.  What he did was walked us through the dangers of the internet.  In a very frank yet tasteful manner, Brother L.J. showed us what was out there and what we could do to protect ourselves and our children.  His best point was that while internet filters are great, the first filter must be on your heart.

We have here at Casa del Ryan four computers (five if you count my Blackberry).  I am going through them each in the next few days to make sure that their anti-virus, anti-spyware, and filter programs are up to date.  Why?  Because timely preaching requires action.

Van crashed into the wall

Originally uploaded by ryaninmtv

Michael and I were going to get Becky from school and run some other errands when we saw this van which had just crashed through the wall of the Mount Vernon Department of Water and Wastewater. The tan sedan in the bottom right of the picture was pretty banged up (on the driver’s side) as well. I don’t know how this happened but this picture was before the police and rescue arrived. Freaky stuff!

Michael came into my office this morning having found a couple of Eggo’s in the freezer.  Here’s the dialog:

Michael: I found a couple of waffles in the freezer

Me: Do you want waffles for breakfast?

Michael: Well, we could share them.

Me: Do you want to make your dad waffles?

Michael: Uh, huh.

Reason 894 why I work from home: Breakfast with Michael

Are you tired of being yelled at by car ad? Do you watch a car commercial and have no idea what they’re selling? Don’t you wish someone would invent something fun to watch. Then behold this bad boy, the best car commercial ever:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgTJJ21VgHY]

HT: odd time signatures

Psalm 42:1-3
As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
KJV

A few weeks ago, the news was peppered with stories regarding Mother Theresa and her crisis of faith. In short, she spent many years of her life and ministry wondering if a) God had any idea if what she was doing and b) if her sacrifices were really making a difference. There have been two primary reactions to this story. The first, from those who do not regard or understand things of faith, is to project a “see I told you so” attitude and note that this good woman did have a few lucid moments when she questioned the existence of God and good for her. The Bible refers to this type as scoffers and mockers and there’s not much I can add to this.

The second reaction (and candidly, the one I had) was “oh thank God, someone else feels this way”. Now dear reader, you may be one of those folks who constantly live in victory and, if so, please go look at the lovely pictures in my photo stream on the right. For the rest of you, I’m guessing you’ve struggled with doubt from time to time (or may be battling it now). This post is for you.

I do a lot of driving; let’s call it going on journeys. Sometimes the road is flat and I can see for miles ahead what is coming. Other times, there are curves, twists and turns, and I have to trust that the road will take me where I need to go, even if I can’t see my destination. I remember driving home from General Conference this year and taking the direction that the good folks at Google provided. They took me off the interstate somewhere in northern Florida and candidly, I felt lost for a couple of hours along that journey. Did I pull the car over and stop going? Not at all. What I did do was trust in the instructions I had in spite of my second thoughts and lo and behold, I am back in Mount Vernon. Don’t you wish all of life was that easy?

My point is that everyone at some point in their journey is going to experience doubt and that is not a bad thing. Recognize it for what it is; address it but for heaven’s sake don’t stop. Just trust that your directions will keep you pointed in the right direction.

Right now, I’m on this cusp of something new and different. I am scared? A little. Do I have doubt? More than a little. I am watching Reg as he starts his journey and Gene as he progresses in his journey and I realize that even though I have doubt I can follow and be okay. Even with a little doubt.

Mark 9:23-24
23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe ; help thou mine unbelief.
KJV