This Week's WOW 9/29

I recently read a book called, This I Believe—the Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women.  The following is an excerpt from one of the chapters. I have highlighted the paragraph that really gave me a lot to think about. I hope it does the same for you.  – Sheri

Always Go to the Funeral

By Deirdre Sullivan

I believe in always going to the funeral. My father taught me that.

     The first time he said it directly to me, I was sixteen and trying to get out of going to calling hours for Miss Everson, my old fifth-grade math teacher. I did not want to go. My father was unequivocal. “Dee,” he said,”you’re going. Always go to the funeral. Do it for the family.”

     So my dad waited outside while I went in. It was worse than I thought it would be: I was the only kid there. When the condolence line deposited me in from of Miss Emerson’s shell-shocked parents, I stammered out, “Sorry about all this,” and stalked away. But, for that deeply weird expression of sympathy delivered twenty years ago, Miss Emerson’s mother still remembers my name and always says hello with tearing eyes.

     That was the first time I went unchaperoned, but my parents had been taking us kids to funerals and calling hours as a matter of course for years. By the time I was sixteen, I had been to five or six funerals. I remember two things from the funeral circuit: bottomless dishes of free mints, and my father saying on the ride home, “You can’t come in without going out, kids. Always go to the funeral.”

     Sounds simple—when someone dies, get in your car and go to calling hours or the funeral. That, I can do. But I think a personal philosophy of going to funerals means more than that.

     “Always go to the funeral” means that I have to do the right thing when I really, really don’t feel like it. I have to remind myself of it when I could make some small gesture, but I don’t really have to and I definitely don’t want to. I’m talking about those things that represent only inconvenience to me, but the world to the other guy….In my humdrum life, the daily battle hasn’t been good versus evil. It’s hardly so epic. Most days, my real battle is doing good versus doing nothing.

     In going to funerals, I’ve come to believe that while I wait to make a grand heroic gesture, I should just stick to the small inconveniences that let me share in life’s inevitable, occasional calamity.

     On a cold April night three years ago, my father died a quiet death from cancer. His funeral was on a Wednesday, middle of the workweek. I had been numb for days when, for some reason during the funeral, I turned and looked back at the folks in the church. The memory of it still takes my breath away. The most human, powerful, and humbling thing I’ve ever seen was a church at 3:00 on a Wednesday full of inconvenienced people who believe in going to the funeral.

This Week's WOW 9/23

I hope you enjoy this devotional by Jim Kraus that I recently read. It certainly gave me something to think about! ~~ Sheri

     There’s something living under my front porch. Or at least, I think so. Maybe. My dog, Rufus, thinks so for sure.  I should back up a bit. When spring ended this year, I noticed some loose dirt at the corner of our concrete front stoop. We’ve had chipmunks living there in the past. Maybe they had invited friends. The dog would stare out the front door, his head cocked one way or another, as if listening to a private conversation. He would bark occasionally—at nothing, as far as I could see.

     I decided to trust him. I purchased a humane animal trap—one that catches the critters alive. I debated: Do I get the squirrel-size trap or move up to the raccoon/possum size apparatus? I opted to go big. I baited the trap with Cheez-It crackers. It was late, and I didn’t want to prepare the apple/peanut butter mix recommended by the trap maker.

     That night, Rufus started barking. A lot. We had hit pay dirt. Inside the trap, calm as anything, was a chunky raccoon. I called my son. After tossing an old blanket over the cage, we carried it to the back of the car and headed to a forest preserve several miles away. (If accused of breaking a law for doing this, I will deny any involvement.) The raccoon scurried away as soon as the door was opened.

     I think that solved the problem.

     But the dog wasn’t in on it. I had decided not to drag the captured animal in front of Rufus—no need to frighten either animal more than necessary. So every night since, the dog still examines that corner of the step, sniffing loudly and carefully. (There still may be some wild beast down there. At the end of summer, I’ll fill the hole with cement. If there are babies down there, I want them to be grown up and gone before I do that.)

     So, what’s the moral? Getting rid of the problem sometimes doesn’t get rid of the problem. To the dog, something smelled odd, out of place. I’m pretty sure the varmint is gone, but good dog Rufus remembers. He can still smell something. We can get rid of things, make them vanish—but the aura, the odor may remain. We can get rid of a sin or an attitude or a callous outlook—and claim victory. But to some, the scent of the sin remains. I don’t think this truth can be altered: it takes time for people to accept change in a person—especially if that person is going from bad to good. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try—but remember, changing perceptions, like getting rid of varmints, takes time.

This Week's WOW 9/15

I want to pass something on to you I read recently.  It was written by Patti Ann Thompson -- Pastor Rick

Something’s Bugging Me

           

“Search me, O God . . . See if there is any offensive way in me.” (Psalm 139:23,24).  While I was reading a biblical devotion online one day, a message popped up from my computer antivirus program: “Warning, your virus protection is out of date. Click here to upgrade.”  Most of us who own computers have an antivirus program. It protects our computers from harmful viruses.  Sometimes we fail to update the program and a virus infects our computer.

            Like my computer, I am virus prone, too. I still make mistakes and download the wrong things. God knows we are human and that our hearts are prone to infection by spiritual bugs – pride, unforgiveness, anger, gossip, and selfishness. How many times have I allowed chronic discontentment or an addiction to worldly lifestyles enter my life and bug me?  Sometimes I dismiss the warning by clicking on “remind me again later”.  I convince myself I will handle it later. When our hearts get infected, our sensitivity to love and serve others is blocked.

            Like the antivirus program that detects and fixes the threats to my computer, God’s Spirit has the power to search my heart and cleanse it from the threats to my spiritual health and service.  We need to constantly ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts, minds, and actions.  Then, with God’s help, we can change what needs to be changed and reflect the example of Christ in our life and ministry.

This Week's WOW 9/7

Push 1, 2, 3

By Pastor Donnie

    A few months ago my wife Lauren gave birth to our beautiful baby boy Obadiah.  Through the labor process, the nurse allowed me to participate in helping Lauren.  Unfortunately, there came a point where I think that Lauren and I both questioned the nurse’s wisdom in allowing me to help. When Lauren reached the pushing stage, I had the task of counting.  It seemed simple enough. How hard could it be to count to number 10? However, about the 15th time of counting from 1 to 10, I started to question whether I knew how to count at all!  “Ok Lauren, push!  1, 2, 3, 6, 7...no no...I skipped something...3, 4, 5,....wait I think I already counted number 3.”  Needless to say, my wife was not too happy with me!

  

    Often we get so busy and stressed out in life doing things - work, eat, church, kid’s practice, TV show, etc., that we forget how to do the simple spiritual things – pray, read the Bible, commune with God.

    In all of life’s hustle and bustle, we need to take time to slow down and remember the important things for our spiritual well-being.  Take time this week to get alone with God and allow Him to refresh and re-energize you so that you can accomplish life’s everyday tasks with excellence.

This Week's WOW 9/1

Tips for Inviting Someone to Church

            According to Barna Research Group, one out of four unchurched people would attend church if a friend invited them.  So what stops us from extending an invitation?  Perhaps we feel awkward at times.  Here are five helpful tips from Dianne E. Butts of Pueblo, Colorado for inviting people to church.

1.      Earn the right to invite. Sometimes spur-of-the-moment invitations work, but other times blurting out, “Wanna go to church?” when you first meet someone gives the impression you only care about attendance goals. Taking the time to build a friendship communicates you want to share an important part of your life.

2.      Instead of asking, “Do you want to go?”,  invite her to come with you. If she feels you are only going to church to take her, she will likely say no. Saying, “Want to come with me?” communicates you are going whether she comes or not.

3.      Give guests an idea of what to expect. Will the service be formal or informal? Loud or low-key?

4.      Give your guests an idea of what to wear. It is embarrassing to stand out in a crowd, so tell him what you will wear and how most other people at your church dress.

5.      Arrange to find each other. Offer to pick up your friend at home, meet for coffee or breakfast before the service, or plan to meet in the parking lot so you can enter the church together.

Remember, inviting others to church is important because it is one step toward inviting them to meet Jesus or redevelop a relationship with Him.