Fishing on MLK Day

Me and Renae at sunrise.  30 degrees.  Lots of ice.  Water was slick as glass. 15 fish before the day was over.

First 5 Casts = Five Speckled Trout

My oldest son, Jonathan, went fishing this morning just before daylight.  It was 28 degrees.  He caught 13 speckled trout before sunrise.  These were his five keepers that fell within the slot limit.  (He caught several that were over 20 inches, but had to release them).

This is a picture of the sunrise he was able to enjoy looking over Escambia bay. It's an unfiltered shot with no special effects.  Oh yea, that's a picture of the lure he used; a suspending twitch bait.

We love Florida, especially living in NW Florida.

On Liturgy and Being Liturgical

“Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle"  (2 Thessalonians 2:15).

Many of you at PCC have never heard of Liturgy (Lit–ur–gee) or even know what it means to be a liturgical church.  Basically it means to observe certain traditions or practices in a worship service.  Most are Biblical, some (I think) are man-made.  Words like formal, formalism, rites, or observances come to mind. 

Liturgical church services will often include elements like an order of service, pre-written prayers, scripture readings, reciting familiar phrases, and a consistent (if not predictable) church service which many find comforting.  Of course, it will also include Communion and Baptism services.

While we have never used the word “Liturgy” at PCC, you have been exposed to it because we incorporate certain liturgical elements in our church services.  For instance, when we receive communion I almost always quote the Apostles Creed.  From time-to-time we will close our Sunday morning services by singing the Doxology (usually acappella – that is, with no music).  Aside from being full of good doctrine and Biblical theology, singing the Doxology without any musical instruments just sounds good.  There’s something special about hearing nothing but the voice of God’s people (without a screaming guitar riff) that ministers to me on a deeper level.  Beyond that, I also use Numbers 6:24-26 as a closing Benediction from time to time.   It’s very traditional, time honored, and feels good.

These are just a few examples of liturgical elements that we use at PCC. 

For some, however, the idea of being liturgical means “dead traditionalism” or “religious formality” that has no life, and lacks the Holy Spirit.

Not so fast.

Let me offer another perspective.

Many people who attend liturgical churches believe they can actually “experience” Christ or the Holy Spirit in the elements of the service.  I agree. 

And why not?”    You experience the Holy Spirit in a communion service, right?  What about a baptism service?  Sure.  What about in a scripture reading?  What about in public prayers?  Sure. 

God hovers over these things.

Believe it or not every church has a liturgy.  It is simply an order of service which they follow.  Some are more formal than others.  That’s all.

Non-liturgical churches do the same thing when they follow their predictable order of service each week (i.e, two songs, a prayer, a sermon, and all done within the allotted time frame).  The main difference between the two – in my observation – is that one group prefers prior planning (to ensure God-honoring excellence) while the other group is often more spontaneous in nature, and chooses to assign “whatever happens” to the Holy Spirit.

My observations aside, it is clear that America’s youth are leaving churches in droves.  Could it be that many churches are so “hip” and “cool” that their lack of Biblical traditions fails to anchor youth to the Church? Furthermore, many of those who do remain in our pews - particularly the older generation - long to be connected to the traditions of the forefathers because it's simply so reassuring.

Christianity today has become a touchy-feely religion of precious memories, sentimentalism, and cultural trends.  It’s like angel food cake; soft, spongy, and unsatisfying.

I think sacramental hunger exists in the heart of every believer – including those who attend PCC.  We may not understand what it is, but it's there on some level.  We are wired to experience God.   

Speaking for myself, I sense the presence of the Holy Spirit more often and on a deeper level when things slow down enough in the worship service that I'm able to actually reflect and think about the elements being offered (such as scripture, the words to a spiritual song, communion, etc). 

Doug Holmes, a good friend of mine and pastor of Christian Life Church in Milton, wrote, “One of my daughters visited a hipster/clever church recently and told me something like: ‘I can’t drink enough caffeine to keep up with this church.  My week is so hectic that I need a slightly slower and more predicable pace.’”

I get it.

I think most adults, including younger ones, would rather experience a worship service that includes certain traditional elements of Christianity rather than the fast-paced, screaming nature of today’s designer pop-gospel.

PCC follows a liturgy, just like every other church.  I would just like to see ours become a bit more deliberate.

I'd also like to know what additional insights my pastor friends of liturgical churches could offer to explain what it means to "experience Christ" in the elements.

Thoughts?

Garden Enjoyment

For me, there’s something very enjoyable about being in my garden.  No matter how stressful my life is, puttering around in the garden seems to bring calm.  When growing season rolls around, I will make time for my garden every single day without fail.  It just feels like something I need.  And maybe I do.

I hope spring comes early this year.

After a very cold winter I am ready to get started in my spring garden.  It will still be couple of months before I can plant warm weather vegetables, but that doesn’t mean I’m not busy right now.

This is the time of year that I look through seed catalogs, brush up on planting dates, make decisions about what I’m going to plant, and plan the garden layout.

In mid December I planted garlic and onion – just before the cold snap.  I covered them with straw which helped them survive – just barely.

Yesterday I bought 100 lbs of seed potatoes.  I will begin planting them at the end of January, in succession over several weeks to control the harvest – I don’t want everything coming in at once.

I’m excited about planting peppers too.  This year I will plant Cubanelle peppers in volume.  They are a hot pepper, but very mild.  They are at the bottom of the Scoville Scale – just above bell pepper.  To give you an idea, their rating is 100-900 units, whereas a Jalapeno pepper is about eight thousand- to-10,000 units.

FIVE BENEFITS I EXPERIENCE FROM GARDENING:

STRESS RELIEF.  Gardening relaxes me.  I can feel the stress simply melt away when I’m busy in the garden. Having a positive outlet for stress is good for my health.

I EAT WHAT I GROW.  Whatever is in season makes up the bulk of my diet at the time. 

This is the time of year I eat a lot of greens.  Dark green leafy vegetables are, calorie for calorie, the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food.  They are rich in minerals (iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium) and vitamins, (K, C, E, and B).  Greens are packed with fiber and low in carbohydrates, which explains why they have little impact on blood sugar levels.

I do the same in spring, summer, and fall.  Whatever is in season is what I’m eating.

Here’s the point:  Consumption of home grown vegetables and less processed foods means more nutrients, antioxidants, and less toxins going into my system.  Win-win.

EXERCISE.  Lifting plants, raking, digging, and hauling… it all requires full-body activity that is labor-intensive.  Sometimes it’s even strenuous.  Either way, it engages me in productive, healthy work.  Breaking a sweat in the outdoors strikes me as being a more sensible way to get exercise than driving to the gym and mounting a machine for a workout… and having to pay membership fees to do it.  Another win-win.

HOME-GROWN TASTES BETTER.  It really does.  I’ve always heard people say this, but never really believed it.  My attitude was, “so what?”  Now I know. 

Vegetables and fruit found in the grocery store are grown for a “long shelf life”, which means they are GMO’s (genetically modified organisms), are saturated with chemicals, and have thick tough skins.  Furthermore, the longer a vegetable or fruit sits on the shelf the more the internal sugars and starches change – making it taste even worse.    Then you have to pour on sugar, salt, and all sorts of other flavor enhancements just to get it down. 

Home-grown, on the other hand, is usually eaten fresh and is bursting with flavor.  Backyard blueberries don’t need whipped cream and added sugar to excite my taste buds.  The sweetness of the natural fruit itself explodes on the palate.  Even backyard broccoli tastes sweet.

SHARING.  I like sharing what I grow with family and friends.  Feels good.

McVictims

The New York Times suggests calling it the McVictim Syndrome – the rush to find a scapegoat for America’s obesity epidemic.  We’re getting fatter, so we must find someone to blame.

McVictimization teaches Americans to think that obesity is someone else’s fault – and therefore, someone else’s problem to solve.

The truth is, in the vast majority of cases we just eat too much and make poor choices.

But finding a scapegoat isn’t unique to the obesity epidemic.  It’s become one of our most cherished crutches for any problem we encounter.  i.e., We make a bad choice, by our own free will, and we look for someone or something to blame as if we are merely the victims of circumstance.

It’s my parent's fault…

It’s the school's fault…

It’s the preacher's fault…

It’s the government’s fault…

Ad infinitum

By convincing yourself that you are a victim, you are guaranteed to have no progress, no healing, and no victory. If you continue to cling to the belief that the problem can’t be your fault, you will never create lasting change in yourself.

Your flight from personal responsibility will prevent you from putting the bit in your mouth, yanking the reins, and going to work on controlling your life and actions.

Your best chance of getting better is to stop blaming others.

You have to own it.  All of it.

Mr. Keyser Update

Mr. Keyser has been admitted to a room at West FL Hospital after spending a good part of the day in the Emergency Room and undergoing a number of tests.

They have ruled out a stroke, and a number of other possible causes for his fainting spell.  He will undergo more tests tomorrow.

Renae and I were able to see him in the hospital this afternoon.  He is doing much, much better.  His color has returned, he's alert, and appears to be well.

Thank you to everyone who responded so well in the service today.  And a special shout-out to Polly B. for staying with the Keyser's all day long.

The Existance of Earth and Man is Evidence

"When I consider the heavens, the work of Thy fingers… what is man, that Thou dost take thought of Him?” (Psalms 8:3-4)

The existence of Earth is evidence of the existence of Heaven.

From all that scientists are learning every day, we find ourselves overwhelmed by the vast distances of space, the intricate and specific requirements necessary to produce and sustain life on any planet, and the mind-blowing odds that such a place as Earth could even exist anywhere in the universe.

And yet, here we are calmly discussing football scores, worrying about what clothes to wear tomorrow, and denying the existence of God.

Living in the most amazing spot in the entire universe, most of mankind takes it all for granted, assuming this is just the way it is and never pauses long enough to look up into a star-lit night to contemplate the obvious - that Heaven is just as likely as Earth is. 

Nevertheless, here it is and here we are.

Choosing to disbelieve in spite of the overwhelming evidence all around us that God is real and Heaven is a certainty, the unbeliever has to RAMP UP THEIR PROTESTS.

They increase the volume of their criticism, point out any flaws in the lives of believers, and turn up the tempo of their shrillness in the hope that doing so will quiet their fears and calm their knocking knees.

It will not.

Self-worship will betray its victim in the end.

And nothing will satisfy the human heart more than believing in a living God except by faith in Jesus Christ – the One though whom we know God.

Go ahead and believe.  Ask God to help you with your rebellious heart that doesn't want to give up so easily.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Sunday Mind Dump - January 5, 2014

Solid day. 

Although the weather was pretty miserable outside, lots of people braved the elements to be in service on this Lord’s Day.

Attendance was way up from last week, even though it’s still a little shy or normal attendance.

Also blown away by people’s generosity today.

Still have lot’s of sick folk.  We encourage them to say home if they or their children are sick.

Kicked of the new series – A Good Soldier of Jesus Christ – based on the book of 2 Timothy.

We covered only the first five verses – it’s the way the scheme of thought flows in the text – but, boy was it ever powerful.  We covered the importance of encouragement (encouraging others), what it means to have sincere faith, the benefit of multi-generational faithfulness in the family, and spiritual adoption (mentoring).

We also had a very strong section when I spoke directly to the fathers – and why they are commanded by God Himself to be actively involved in the spiritual formation of their own children.

Everyone seemed to be really interested in these ideas.  Many were leaning forward their seat.  At times is was very quiet… so quiet that it unnerved me a little bit.

I think the quieter it gets the more people are contemplating and listening to the spiritual impressions being made upon them.

With the first five verses of the introduction behind us, the door to the entire book is wide open and next Sunday we are off and running. 

The book of 2 Timothy contains some of the most  potent and riveting passages in the New Testament.  

I would encourage you to read ahead each week to familiarize yourself with the content.  That way the Sunday morning message can build upon your own study.  You’ll grow so much more that way.

We have a great church.  There are so many good things happening right now.

Sure not everything is perfect, and many things need to be improved.  But we have a solid church, and a happy congregation. 

Funny thing is, I used to stress out (a lot) about the things that are less than perfect.  I also used to stress when people expressed an urgency to “fix things.”

Now, I’m over that.  I figure it’s God’s church, it’s His mess, and He always comes through.

I am now able to rest in that.

2013 was a great year for me personally, and for PCC.  I believe 2014 will be even better.  I’m putting more into God’s Hands and letting myself off the hook for everything else.

There’s nothing more rewarding than to see God do His thing in His timing.

Other Stuff….

The temperatures are going to be very cold over the next couple of days – lower than what we typically experience in NW Florida.  

I think it’s going to kill my garden.  

Winter greens (collards, turnips, kale, etc) can handle freezing weather, even a little ice.  But they cannot handle 16 degrees.  

I guess I’ll go over and pick most everything, cook it, and put it in the freezer for future use.  Otherwise, I’ll lose most of it to the elements.

I’ve had good success with turnip roots this year.  Just lucky I guess.   We have really enjoyed them.

Cindy, I have another bunch with your name on them if you would like them.

Fishing…

On the upside, I might be able to scoop some mullet with a dipping net this week.

:-)

This Sunday - New Series Begins

I always love kicking off a new teaching this series, and this Sunday – the very first Sunday of 2014 – we are beginning a new one.

It is entitled A Good Soldier of Jesus Christ and it’s based on the book of 2 Timothy.

Paul wrote this letter to pass the torch to a new generation of church leaders.  In doing so, he emphasized the importance that believers need to endure hardness, stand strong, and be solidly grounded in Christian service.

It’s easy to serve Christ (or attend church) for the wrong reasons:  because it’s exciting, rewarding, entertaining, or personally enriching.  Yet, without a proper foundation, people find it easy to quit in difficult times.  That’s probably why we see so many defections from the faith nowadays – superficial commitment.

The tone of this book is strong meat, almost military in nature.  In it you hear language like:

“Stir up the gift of God within you”…. God has not given us a spirit of fear… Hold fast to sound doctrine… Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ… If we deny Him, He will also deny us…  Study to show yourself approved unto God… Flee youthful lusts…. Men shall be lovers of their own selves… Endure afflictions… Fight the good fight…. Keep the faith… God will judge the living and the dead…

This is a far cry from the soft wimpy version of Christianity that is so popular today.  Somewhere along the way we have dumbed-down the definition of what a real believer looks like.  Today, a good Christian is not known for being a soldier, but known mostly for meekness, sensitivity, passivity, mild manners, sentimentalism, and being sweet.  The Christian life has been reduced down to an invitation to a passive lifestyle.  It’s like angle food cake – soft, spongy, and unsatisfying.

That’s why we are going through the book of 2 Timothy verse-by-verse, so we can learn what the Bible actually says!

A Personal Update

House Plans and Set Backs

Since selling our home back in August, it’s been a roller coaster for us in many ways.

It was no small effort to move – and we have personal possession scattered over three locations until we get our new home built.

The home design process have been much slower than I expected.  We thought we had settled on a plan, but after we staked it out on the ground at our home site (to get a real feel for the dimensions), we put a hold on the project and went back to the drawing board.

Then Renae got sick with thyroid issues and high blood pressure.  One doctor said she was on the verge of a stroke.  On top of that she was diagnosed with having a goiter on her thyroid and borderline diabetes.

Consequently, she took a medical leave for 3-4 weeks in November.

Then our draftsman fell and broke his hand, meaning he could not draw house plans for us for at least a couple of months.

Then I got sick in December with a severe case of the flu that lasted most of the month.  Then my 3 month old granddaughter got the flu (with other complications) and had to spend 3-4 days in the hospital.  Very frightening.

In addition, there have been 3 deaths in the church that I’ve had to respond to.

All of this created a slow-down on the development of our house plans.  However, now that the holidays are over we have resumed our efforts at making a decision.  A decision I hope we will arrive at in the next week or two.

We are very excited about building our home and ready to pull the trigger.

The Holidays

We have really enjoyed the holiday season this year.  Thanksgiving, the month of December, Christmas Week, and New Years have been very relaxed and family-oriented.

It’s also been very good to spend time with friends, whose company we enjoy. 

The simple things in life make it more meaningful to me.

I kept my Christmas spending on budget this year – mostly buying for the the kids and grandchildren – which I enjoyed doing.

I’m also glad that I won’t be having a bunch of large bills coming due in January.  This enables me to get off to a good financial start for 2014.

Next year, Renae and I plan to have family gatherings in our new home over the holidays.

Money

Speaking of not having a bunch of bills come in at the beginning of the New Year, I have written five articles about debt and some basic money-management principles.  They are posted just below this blog entry.

Garden

My fall garden is coming along very nicely.  I planted Kale, Mustard, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Radish, Collards, and Turnips.

For whatever reason, the collards and turnips have done the best.    They have thrived.  And we have eaten plenty of them over the holidays beginning at Thanksgiving.

I get very excited when I grow things successfully.

The week before Christmas I planted onion and garlic.  They are coming along real nice and I hope to harvest them in May of 2014.  (Garlic and onion need about 5 months to mature).

I planted about 50 garlic and 300 onion.

Within the next couple of weeks I will be planting potatoes.  I have two years experience with Red Potatoes, but this year I would like to add Yukon Gold Potatoes for a variety.

I’ve had real good success with potatoes so far, so if anyone would be interested in planting potatoes in your own garden and would like my input, I’d be glad to offer what I know.

I’ll even offer my tractor.

Just know this:  Potatoes are easy to grow.  The reward is well worth the effort.

I am planning my spring garden right now:  tomatoes, potatoes, cucumber, squash, pepper, and field peas.  Very, very excited.

I’m hopeful that my blueberries, muscadine grapes, and fruit trees will produce good this year too.

Church-Related Stuff

Very thankful to Gene Tharp, Greg Gill, Gary Weiborg, and Philip Polk who assisted my with the pulpit ministry in 2013. 

Their contribution to the Body of Christ and the PCC family was enormous.  And it was helpful to me personally.

2014 will see even more improvements in the pulpit ministry.  This aspect of our church is really beginning to shape up.

My next sermon series will be from the book of 2 Timothy.

2014 will also see series on: 

• The Ten Commandments
• The Life of Abraham
• The Coming Collapse of America
• Why I Am Committed to Teaching the Bible

We are anticipating a serious upgrade in the children’s ministry area of PCC.  There are some very valuable volunteers who need to be affirmed; a few people who have no heart for the ministry that need to be removed; and a number of enthusiastic newcomers who will be deployed.

Good things are in our future.

Fishing

I’m dying to get back on the water.  I went fishing early in December, but got sick and that ended my fishing trips for the month.

Net fishing, rod-and-reel fishing – makes no difference to me.

I now have six cast nets.  I have two 10’ nets, two 8’ nets, and two 6’ nets.  This is a mixture of bag nets, brail nets, bait nets and mullet nets.

I’ve been practicing over the last year too – on the water and in my front yard – and I can throw all of them effectively.

Although I missed the fall run of mullet, I’m still hopeful to catch a spring run.

When I do, I’ll be forwarding a bunch of them to James W. who is reported to be the grill-master for smoking.

Same-Sex Marriage

I’ve always been pretty silent on the subject of homosexuality out of respect for personal friends and members of PCC who have family members who are gay. My practice has been to simply let the Scriptures speak for themselves while I teach through the Bible.  After all, most Christians already know that the Bible says on the matter and me getting on a soap box and harping on the subject wouldn't be helpful.  

However, with the incredible surge of effort and success by homosexual activists, along with the help of the government and a sympathetic media to push their agenda, my silence is no longer a virtue.  

It's everywhere.  It's in-your-face.  It won't go away.  It grows.  It won't be silent. And it can't be ignored.  So it's time for me to say something about it.

I will be writing an article and posting to this blog.  Soon.