Sunday Reflections

Yesterday during both worship services, I preached on Romans 5:1-5. As a part of my message, I was talking about how no matter what we go through, God will be with us. No matter how scared or worried we get, God will be with us. No matter the results of what happens in life, God will be with us. We have hope is God that never disappoints!

On June 7th, there will be a Community Blood Drive in Eden, WI. I have always wanted to do a blood drive, but I am deathly afraid of needles. Well, this time I will be doing the blood drive. A member of my congregation pointed out that I should be able to give blood because of what I said in my sermon. She was right. God will be with me, no matter how scared I might be about. I will give blood. How bad can it be? I can do my part to save lives.

Service Preview for May 30

Blessings to Members & Friends of Oakfield and Tabor Churches,

This Sunday, we fit three different occasions into our worship service:

• Trinity Sunday - This is essentially the last holiday in our Christian year. It is a chance for us to celebrate God as three persons: God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. After this Sunday, we celebrate quite a few Sundays after Pentecost.
• Memorial Day - We will have a prayer during our worship service that recognizes those who are important to us that are no longer with us, but rejoice with God in heaven.
• Peace with Justice Sunday - From the United Methodist Website, "The United Methodist Church declares that peace with justice will be celebrated when all people have access to adequate jobs, housing, education, food, health care, income support and clean water. The denomination will further celebrate when structures and systems that reflect economic exploitation, war, political oppression and cultural domination no longer exist.

  Half of the offering collected by an annual conference is retained to fund local peace with justice programs. In addition, half of the offering is remitted to the General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) to help fund U.S. and global work in social action, public-policy education and advocacy."

  
  

  The Bible readings for this Sunday are:

• Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
• Psalm 8
• Romans 5:1-5
• John 16:12-15

Brent Vernon Concert - REMINDER

I wanted to send out another reminder about this Friday's concert at Oakfield United Methodist Church. It is this Friday at 7:00PM. If you need directions to the church, please click HERE.

The following comes from his Facebook page:

"South Florida-based singer, songwriter, and ventriloquist Brent Vernon believes that God can use anyone -- even the most unlikely among us -- to do great things for Him. As a shy kid who struggled to articulate himself, Brent did not envision himself playing concerts and leading worship as he does today. But for the past fifteen years, his concert ministry has inspired the thousands who have found their way to small country churches, inner city ministries, contemporary suburban churches, elementary school assemblies, college chapels, coffee houses, and the many other venues Brent has played.

Brent and his sidekick Sam have crisscrossed the U.S. countless times and have performed in Canada, Ireland, and the Caribbean.

"I have a passion for creative excellence, but I get more excited about connecting with people in meaningful ways. I love that folks find the concerts to be quirky and fun, but -- more than anything -- our time together is about building the Kingdom."

With this in mind, Brent's lyrics are honest and biblically driven, encouraging and admonishing the listener to live a surrendered life. The music itself is energetic and heartfelt, covering a wide range of musical styles."

I do want to stress that no tickets are required for the show and there is no admission fee. Brent has simply asked that a love offering is taken during the show. You are encouraged to contribute the amount you feel comfortable for this show. Please spread the word about this concert. It is a great opportunity to see some live music. It gives you something to do on a Friday night!

The doors will open at 6:30PM. The Youth Group for Oakfield United Methodist Church will have refreshments provided before and after the show as well as during the intermission. Brent will also have recordings available.

Check out some videos of his on YouTube.

Check out his MySpace page.

I hope to see you there!

Church Softball Update

On a pleasantly warm evening, the Tabor Softball Team took the field at Woodworth Field in Fond du Lac. Putting their perfect season, at 1-0, on the line, they were victorious over Church of Our Savior. The final score of the game was 11-7.

Pastor Jim went 2-3 with two RBIs (don't ask about the blown play in right field...he doesn't know anything). Overall, the game was close and exciting. I would again like to reiterate how much fun it is to play on this team. I appreciate that everyone from the church who wants to play and shows up gets an opportunity to play in the field and to get to bat. Al does an excellent job as manager.

The team looks forward to a week off for Memorial Day before getting back onto the field. Go Tabor!

Humorous Reflection

Wow...what a day yesterday. The worship service at the Tabor church was incredible. It was wonderful to have previous pastors from the Tabor church participate in the worship service. It was wonderful to have Steve Polster, the Assistant to the Bishop, help in the dedication of the new addition. It was wonderful to have Larry & Lyle Goebel join us to share special music. It was wonderful to have much a large crowd be at church to celebrate.

...and, it was wonderful to realize that among this gathering of witnesses, I am indeed not perfect ;)...

At the beginning of the service, I was on such a roll during the announcements portion of the service, that I moved on right to the Call to Worship. Thankfully, Pastor Nancy helped me to realize that I had skipped over Steve Polster's welcome. He said afterward that if I had failed to remember, he would have been able to sneak a welcome in. But, that's not the good one.

During my sermon, I felt as though I gave a very impassioned message about how generous we are as a Tabor congregation and how we have an exciting opportunity to love forward and do some amazing things together. I ended my message by saying, "Today we celebrate a new addition and a new chapter of Oakfield United Methodist Church."

I heard a few snickers in the crowd and realized I must have messed. I asked, and was informed of my mistake. Oh, the joys of a two point charge. Oops!

Well, the book I am reading about small churches says that congregations appreciate it when pastors make mistakes. That bodes well for me! :)

An Exciting Day on May 23, 2010

It will be a busy Sunday for the Oakfield/Tabor (Eden) charge this Sunday! Allow me to preview the exciting events happening this Sunday. At both churches, we will be celebrating Pentecost. We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit to the early believers. It was from this event that we celebrate the beginning of the Christian church.

Oakfield (10:45AM Worship)

We will be receiving new members at Oakfield this Sunday. We will be bringing Heather Budler-Ronzoni, Ed Budler-Ronzoni, and Christa Droste into fill membership in the church. After our worship service, we will have a cake reception for our new members. This Sunday will also be the last Sunday for church school. All children and encouraged to attend for a hot dog lunch at Acorn Park. We will also be unveiling a new church banner for Pentecost. We will be dedicating the banner as a part of the church service.

Tabor (8:45AM Worship)

The service include a time to dedicate our new church addition. There will many guests with us that will be joining us for, and participating in, our worship service. Larry & Lyle Goebel will be providing special music throughout the service. The Tabor choir will also be singing for the last time until fall. We will also be celebrating the final day of Sunday School. We will be taking a moment to thank all of our teachers and all those who helped to make Sunday School a success.

After church, we will have an open house and lunch served from noon until 2:30PM. We will have grilled brats, hot dogs and hamburgers along with various sides and desserts. We hope you will be able to make it. The open house and lunch are open to everyone in the community!

On-Line Prayer Requests

While checking out an E-mail sent from the United Methodist Church, I spotted one article that talked about ways to reach a tech-savvy church. I will admit some of them were over my head, and I consider myself somewhat tech-savvy. There was one that I really liked and I am trying to incorporate into our two churches.

I would like to make on-line prayer requests available. The link to the prayer request link can be found in read on our church website, or by bookmarking this page. I realize that church members can share their prayer requests on Sunday. Sometimes someone may not want to share a paryer public;y. But, if at any time you have a prayer request, I want you to know that you can submit it on-line through the links above.

Friends and family are also encouraged to use these links of there is a prayer concern that you wish me, and/or our church family, to lift up in prayer. Please spread the word. Let us be a community of prayer together!

Tabor Co-Ed Softball Team

Tonight is the first game for the Tabor United Methodist Church co-ed softball team. The team plays at 7:00PM tonight at the Evans Elementary School in Fond du Lac. I am excited for the opportunity to be able to participate as a part of the team. We'll see if they still want me to be on the team after I play tonight ;).

Last year, this team went undefeated in the regular season. I am excited to see this team in action. Look for a full schedule of the team of the Tabor Church page of our website.

May 16, 2010 Service Preview

“In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street where one was reading Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the hear through faith in Christ. I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He has taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”

So were the words of John Wesley during the evening of what we have come to know as his "Aldersgate Experience." This evening changed his life drastically! It was after this experience that Wesley began a movement in England that made its way over to America. It was this movement that formed a basis for the Methodist Episcopal Church. We have a rich church heritage, with roots from various churches that came together to eventually make the United Methodist Church we have today.

This Sunday we celebrate Heritage Sunday & Aldersgate Sunday. We celebrate our past! During our service, we will sing hymns written by Charles Wesley. We will learn more about what makes us unique as United Methodists. It is important to honor our past so that we can look to the future. At the Oakfield church, we will have displays throughout the church that honor the past of the Oakfield church. We will have an time during the worship service where people are welcome to share memories of their time as a member of the Oakfield church.

I hope you can join us for this service! The scriptures for Sunday are:

• Acts 1:1-11
• Ephesians 1:15-23
• Luke 24:44-53
  

Upcoming Events

It with great excitement that I wanted to highlight events for next Sunday and beyond:

• On May 23, 2010 at Tabor UMC we will be celebrating the dedication of our new church addition. Our 8:45AM service will have a special musical duo performing. We will also have past pastors of the church worshiping with us. Rev. Steve Polster, the Assistant to the Bishop of the Wisconsin Annual Conference will also be joining us. Please stay for grilled brats, hamburgers and hot dogs and an open house!
• On May 23, 2010 at Oakfield UMC we will be welcoming new members to the church.
• On May 28, 2010 we will be having Brent Vernon perform at the Oakfield Church at 7:00PM. Please check our website for details.

Health Care Reform

Back in March, the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America passed a law that significantly changed our health care system. Leading up to this vote and leading up to President Barack Obama's signing of the bill, there was a great deal of controversy and debate on both sides. I realize that a lot of the changes outlined in the bill will not be taking place for awhile. I will admit that I have not really been thinking about the legislation recently.

I was reading an article in the Good News magazine that brought this topic back to my mind. Specifically it dealt with the issue of whether or not the United Methodist Church supported this piece of legislation. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said the following upon the passing of this legislation, "[M]ore than 350 organizations, representing Americans of every age, every background, every part of the country, who have endorsed this legislation. Our coalition ranges from the AARP...to the United Methodist Church."

Really? I realize that not everyone is familiar with our Book of Discipline. As far as I know, no one is allowed to speak on behalf of the United Methodist Church. The General Conference of the United Methodist Church did vote to say health reform was necessary. It did not advocate for any particular piece of legislation. The General Board of Church and Society seemed to phrasing things in a way that promoted the passing of this legislation. As a result this was interpreted by own own Speaker that we endorsed this legislation. Yikes.

It appears a lot of folks were angered by this result. I wish to keep to myself my own views on health care reform. Regardless of those views, I am disappointed that there is an appearance that our denomination took a stand on this issue. You risk alienating a part of your membership when you appear to be taking a stand on such a controversial issue. I hope the committees and agencies of the United Methodist Church are more careful in the future.

Gas Station Reflections

Yesterday, just before lunch, I was walking back from the local Oakfield gas station, BFG. As usually tends to happen when I am on a walk around town, my mind wanders. You see, I was at the gas station for a different purpose than usual. I met a young couple with children that needed help with a tank of gas. They were getting paid the next day and just needed a little bit of help to get them to that paycheck. The churches of Oakfield and Tabor helped them out. I was glad to be able to help out!

While making small talk with this couple, I found out that one of them was involved in a pretty bad accident while playing softball. It left him briefly unconscious and in a lot of pain. Given the stories that I have heard from this couple, I was troubled to hear of this recent story. Hadn't they gone through enough already? Hadn't life already given them enough blows after the last few months? What's the next thing that's going to happen to these people?

In my devotionals, I have read about how we are to react to adversity in our lives. We all face adversity in our lives. This I understand. We aren't supposed to look at it as God being against us or trying to make our lives difficult. God is with us through the adversity of our lives. It is when we overcome adversity that we realize what we are capable of with God's presence in our lives. We are never alone. As a friend told me, "If God brings you to it, He'll bring you through it." But, there are times, when it does seem like too much.

Then I think about this couple. They have faced so much...for so long. I am happy to know that they do attend church, and are looking for a more permanent church home. I am thankful they through all they have gone through, they do not see God as being against them or in their name. Bless them for their faith. I hope I would have the same faith and devotion if I were in the same situation.

It is my hope that they will be able to get back on their feet, with God there every step of the way. Amen.

May 9, 2010 Service Preview

"Jesus said, 'The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and make you remember all that I have told you.'" - John 14:26 (Good News)

The Holy Spirit is difficult to explain. You can't physically see him, but you think you see his influence everywhere. We are told that he resides in all of us, but we may not always know how and when he acts in us...or when he does not act in us. Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit coming after he leaves the world. He will teach us everything and help us remember. He said this to the disciples, who experienced the Holy Spirit descending upon them and the believers, not too long after Jesus ascended to heaven.

Where is the Holy Spirit today? He's still there, strong as ever. We need only understand what the Holy Spirit does for us and how we sense his presence.

We will also be celebrating both Mother's Day and the Festival of the Christian Home in the hymns that we sing and prayers that we lift up. The Tabor Children's Choir will be singing for the congregation. They will also have gifts to hand out to mothers. There will be baked treats at Oakfield for mothers.

The Bible readings for this Sunday are:

• Acts 16:9-15
• Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5
• Psalm 67
• John 14:23-29

I hope to see you in church!

Fox Cities Half Marathon

While I was out for my morning run yesterday, I realized that it had been some time since I have ran a race. I have run three half marathons while I was living in Oshkosh. I ran the Oshkosh Half Marathon twice and the Fox Cities Half Marathon one time. Yesterday I decided that I would like to even up the number of races that I have run.


On September 19, 2010 at 7:00AM, I will be participating in the Fox Cities Half Marathon. Over the last three weeks, the warmer weather beckoned me outside to start running again. This morning, I completed a six mile run and it felt great! I know that I can be ready for it by September. It is my hope in 2011 to finally run the marathon that I have always wanted to run...but, not yet.



As Weaver gets older and actually allows us to get up at my "normal" time of 6:00AM, and with Christa no longer teaching, I have the opportunity to get up in the morning and run again. I appreciate the peace and tranquility that comes in a morning run. There aren't too many distractions, except for some beautiful country landscapes.

Running clears my mind from distractions and gives me an opportunity to prayer, to ponder a difficult situation or come up with some new ministrey ideas. Between that and some strength training, I look to get to good racing shape by September!

Circles of Support

This afternoon, I will be attending a meeting to learn more information about Circles of Support. They are an organization that helps people make the transition from incarceration to the community. They serve Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, Green Bay, the Fox Valley and surrounding communities.

They recently opened an office in Fond du Lac and I am curious to find out about the role at the faith community can have with this organization.

Once I have a better idea of how we can help out, it is my hope that perhaps the Oakfield and Tabor church can find a way to support Circles of Support. Please check out the link above to find out more information.

Some Changes in the Week

I wanted to write about a few changes in my ministry as a pastor. I have taking Mondays as a Sabbath day for rest and rejuvenation. I have changed this day to Friday. So, this is the first entry that I have written on a Monday in quite some time.

My Office Hour schedule has also changed:

Oakfield

• Mondays & Wednesdays from 10:00AM - Noon
• Thursdays from 1:00 - 3:00 PM
  

Tabor

• Mondays from 1:00 - 3:30 PM
• Thursdays from 9:00 - 11:30 AM

I plan on spending more time at the Tabor church with these additional office hours. I hope to build a stronger connection with the Eden community this way as well.