an act of worship

Summer is challenging for pastors' wives. There is campmeeting, conferences, youth camp, weddings, graduations, and juggling family activities with church functions. For some, like me, this summer may mean a ministry move. Since the church year ends in the spring, most pastoral changes take place in the summer. So, we can add packing and resettling to that list as well.

No matter what is on our ministry horizon, you and I have to keep the focus clear. We are called to serve -- not just congregations, but Christ. Every part of ministry is an offering to Him. I want mine to be fragrant, so that my life is a daily act of worship.

a ministry footprint

Ministry is about footprints.

No two ministry couples are the same; the pattern they follow and the imprint they make are different--as different as the Spirit's gifts which they embody.

On the shores of life, the pastor and his wife walk together, hand in hand, inviting others along on the the journey with Christ. The castles they build along the way are subject to the waves, but the impact of their lives is grounded on the Rock.

Just as Jesus left His prints for us to follow, we are to leave a set of tracks behind us that point the way, not to a sandy beach, but to a heavenly destination.

May the path of our ministry lead to an ever deeper knowledge of Christ.

But the path of the just is like the shining sun,

That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. (Proverbs 4:18, NKJV)

revivals and renewals

We just need to hear it again, a different way, in a new voice.

I was telling a friend just the other day how I think my kids get so used to Mom's voice that they subconsciously tune me out. I demand respect and obedience, but sometimes I don't think they ever hear me. Their ears have become so attuned to the "mom" frequency that it kind of flies over them. Let Dad say the same thing and. whoa!, they hear him. It's the power of a new timbre and different presentation.

Ditto for church. The principles we've heard all our lives get a little distant when we never hear them presented differently. That's part of the wonder of having a guest speaker. God's message can be heard with a different tone, different flair, with new energy, and great power.

There are many reasons are important, but giving our ears a little "wake-up call" is a pretty good one.

for today

Pastoring is a journey, a kaleidoscope, a carousel, a ministry built on the ebb and flow of life. Each of us plugged into this awesome partnership with God are amazed at the delights and the stresses.

Times have always been changing; people have always been suffering; problems have always been challenging.

No matter the generation in which we minister, we are to remember that God has placed us here "for such a time as this." There is no period of history in which our particular ministry would be more effective. We are placed here today.

something to snack on

For Sarah (who asked me to post this).

Here is our family's usual Sunday night snack: Bean Burritos

• flour tortillas
• Cheddar Cheese (grate it yourself; the pre-grated kind has an additive to keep it from clumping that makes it drier)
• refried beans
• sour cream
• taco sauce
• Jalapenos
• tortilla chips

We make them in 2 ways. One is to heat the beans and warm the tortillas, then roll the beans and cheese up and eat burrito style. The other way is to preheat oven to 350, brush melted butter on tortillas, spread with beans and cheese, top with another tortilla and bake these quesadilla style until the edges are brown and the top is crispy -- then cut into wedges with a pizza cutter. Either way, you can dip in sour cream or taco sauce, and add Jalapenos if you like. If you add an envelope of taco mix to 16 oz. of sour cream, you get a nice dip.

Another trick: when I waitressed in a Mexican restaurant (Tio's in Cincinnati) I watched my boss warm tortillas. I don't have a large griddle like he did, but you get the same effect with a no-stick skillet (may want to use an old one). I don't use any oil or spray; just heat the pan over medium heat and add tortillas one at a time, a few seconds on each side, you can pinch it gently in the center and flip with your fingers, when they begin to bubble, they are heated -- transfer to Styrofoam tortilla keeper (at Dollar Tree). This is so much better than using the microwave which makes them rubbery. Watch them carefully so they won't burn.

We use the leftover beans as dip for the chips.

It's something we look forward to every Sunday night.

one of "them" days

Today was one of those Sundays when you wish you were a parishioner and could find an excuse to stay home.

It's summer -- attendance is down. That's normal.

We're taking a special offering with kids from Jr. Church helping. Miscommunication causes pastor's wife and taped music to play at same time. Pastor's wife abruptly ends with a little flourish and sits quietly.

Normal flow of service is changed because of offering. Choir members don't know when to file up so they sit in congregation and sing. The risers are empty.

Person singing special couldn't do it. Pastor and wife step up to fill in. Pastor's wife can't remember what song it is so she can play intro (they don't have their music book because they weren't planning to sing). It's in the hymnal, but because she can't remember what they hurriedly decided downstairs in the study, she can't look it up. So she sits. Pastor stands beside piano, and in his words of intro, announces the name of the song. She wings it from memory, with a quick prayer to the Lord for help remembering the chords.

Visitors are present.

Pastor's wife forgot to put frozen chicken on counter to thaw. Sunday dinner is late.

It's not a day to remember in the annals of pastoral history. But we did it. Some Sundays, you just hang on and check off. Not in a spiritual sense of course. But in the ebb and flow of ministry, not every Sunday can be a bell-ringer (if we had a bell, it probably wouldn't have rung either!)

The Land of the Free

Celebrating God and country is the responsibility of the church. The roots of our nation's freedom are so entwined in devotion to God that it is impossible for true patriots to separate them.

As pastoral families, we set the tone for citizenship. Let your church be known as the place to be on July 4th Sunday. Plan a few special items for the service or prepare a choral/dramatic presentation. When we lose the freedom to be patriots, we lose the freedom to worship. Let's be ambassadors of both! God bless America.