July 2008

         What will your Fourth of July look like? As you know, people begin setting off fireworks in late June as a foretaste of what they intend to do on the Fourth. Parties for families and friends will dot our communities throughout the country. And, rightly so! We recognize the high price for which our freedom and union was purchased. We also understand the call to protect and cherish it. What a gift to live in this country! But, and oh boy, this is a big one; we are not all free. Huh? How could we find ourselves bound while free? Well, Jesus had told the Pharisees that they were blind, slaves of corruption. They had perfectly ordered lives outwardly, but had all manner of disorder within. Prisoners of their own perceived goodness. Prisoners of self and the perception of society. What a mess! Yet, how very familiar. 

                 How do people get themselves in such a predicament? I suggest each person reading this article answer the question. Only you know. If it is a problem relationship, where did it begin to break down? Communication? Poor decision? Something deeper? Maybe the problem is health. What genetic components are at play? Could there be something along the way that should have been done (or avoided) to prevent the present condition? Maybe, maybe not. The point is, all of us find ourselves living in the land of the free as prisoners to a greater or lesser degree. Hang on, I know what you are thinking. Not all of us have such problems. Well then, maybe the better word is “overly obligated” to whatever. Like the tail wagging the dog. For example, are your debts out of whack? Do you have habits that seem to have you? Do you notice the sins of others but fail to see your own? Are worries over this or that gripping you unacceptably? Do you find that everyday decisions are made for you and you are simply going along for the ride? Whooo, Nelly! How do we find ourselves in such a spot? Often it is one step at a time.

         But, let me move forward toward the remedy instead of analyzing how we got to the place we’re in. First, know that Christ loves you where you are, as you are. No quick fixes or magical solutions. Simply loving the wayward sheep right where he found it. Second, all we can do is live in the Spirit now, from this moment on. What has been is gone. The decision, the word, the hurt, the...you name it. It has been done. Christ takes broken people and invites them to follow Him now. Yesterday cannot be relived. Only the moment I can control, even if only my response to it. Third, us, oh, sorry, I was worrying about yesterday. See, hard isn’t it. Maybe that is the key. You and me together, helping one another. My best self is often found in the presence of those who hold me up, and sometimes pick me up. We need one another. In prison it is solitary confinement that the inmates want to avoid. The punishment for the punished. Most of us thrive with the help of others. It is without others, alone, that we often struggle.  I know, sometimes it is the other way around. Bad company, etc… You get my point. We truly are a people designed for community. God said to Adam, “It is not good that man is alone.” Like coals burning alone or with other coals, the more the merrier. I suggest friendship and true Christian fellowship is a cherished gift form the God who knows how His creation functions best. If you find yourself drifting toward something that grabs you and won’t let you go, lean on a trusted companion. Jesus taught us that where two or more are gathered He is truly present. Quite frankly, He is the measure of freedom. It is only when we are centered in Him that freedom is ours (even when circumstances bind us). So, choose this Fourth to refocus on Christ in your life. Choose to live in the hope He has given you. It is not always easy, but with the help of His Spirit, even when the darkness of prison surrounds us, we can know the peace of His presence. 

 PEACE, Pastor Mark

June 2008 

          I recently watched a special on History Channel International dealing with the progression of castle development. People have always felt and known the need to protect themselves.  Whether kings or simple families, all want the sense of safety walls can provide. What was interesting then, as well as now, is the fact that walls can do as much harm as good. Consider the castle again. Though it does offer protection, symbolize authority and can be used to batter an opponents army against, it harbors sickness, has limited supplies and can only hold a certain number of people. Those often dark, wet, uncomfortable places served a purpose but didn't solve the main problem.   

              Imagine a world in which all choose to serve rather than demand to be served. What if we didn’t have to fear our enemies because all were trusted neighbors? Consider a world in which hunger, inclement weather and sickness were things of the past. You see, living in a fallen world has made that which we hoped to be more dream than reality. Even today, in our hearts, we build walls; barriers to keep strangers out, fortresses of words and actions that prevent even loved ones from accessing our deepest places. Though we yearn for a life in which we were safe to love and be loved without fear of hostility or rejection, we end up in a reality demanding a guarded heart and a wary mind. 

        As Christians, is it possible to love without limits? Or are we doomed to live separate lives, defined by fear and distrust, letting only the privileged few draw close to our true selves? And even then only guardedly? We are called to let boundaries fall, walls to crumble, and freedom and honesty to reign. Satan thrives on secrecy, fear and isolation. We thrive in openness and community. Let us pray that God heals that which separates us from one another. Walls are for kings of old, not children of the King.

                                                         Pastor Mark
 

  May 2008         

 Doing the right thing has always been the Right Thing To Do. 

Doing the right thing, however, has not always been easy or simple. 

Even if the right thing were found to be easy or simple, it is often 

not done well. Imagine if you would, a time when you were at odds with 

your mate. The bone of contention was clear and the lines were drawn. 

Then, through the course of time and reflection one or the other mate 

saw the error of their position or the truth of the other. What would 

be the right response? A gloating celebration in which the vanquished 

was humiliated or a gentle acceptance of a truth discovered and a 

disagreement ended? Obviously the latter. I remember reading about the 

surrender of General Lee’s army toward the conclusion of the Civil War. 

A Union officer recalled the moment when the vanquished Confederate Army 

slowly appeared, marching sadly but proudly between the massed ranks of 

the victorious Union troops. He noted the respect given to the former enemy 

as they moved solemnly to the place of surrender. Though fierce in war, the 

two sides honored one another by the way the war was concluded. No gloating. 

No humiliation. No provocations. They both did the right thing. 

 I wonder how many times we have been right about one issue or another 

but terribly wrong in our application? Consider the human struggle with sin 

as reflected in scripture’s story of the woman caught in adultery. The 

lines were drawn as Jesus’ audience of the convicted and those without 

conviction (yet) stood to hear His observations about the woman whose moral 

failure was obvious to all. Do you remember that poignant moment when Jesus 

simply asked those who were passing judgment if they were without sin?  

As Jesus knelt to draw in the sand, one by one, beginning with the oldest 

(and perhaps wisest) they recognized their own sins and silently slipped 

away. Jesus looked up at the woman. Relieved but aware of her own guilt, 

and asked her where her accusers were. When she discovered her freedom 

Jesus spoke the truth as she too needed to hear it. He Said, “Go and sin 

no more.”  He could have shamed her. He could have dealt harshly with her 

since she truly was in the wrong. Instead, He lovingly reminded her in those 

five words to try and live the life God called her to live. He did the right 

thing. 

	We live in a world in which disagreements, even among those who care f

or one another, create damaging emotional gulfs. One party or the other stands, 

eyes blazing, glaring at the clearly defined enemy. Instead of a loving desire 

to find truth, harmful words are exchanged and irreparable damage is done to 

relationships that would otherwise blossom. The issue is not the truth, but the 

way in which it is discovered and communicated. Whether the relationship is 

within a family, work environment, community, church or friendship, we are 

called to be careful not to harm the other. The Bible teaches us to be both 

shrewd and HARMLESS. How many times have we been in the right about one issue 

or another, but stumbled into a harmful application of that truth? Who wins when, 

in trying to do the right thing, it is done wrong? No one. God is not glorified, 

we do not grow and sorrow is in our wake. When we do the right thing God’s will 

prevails and relationships thrive. If we recklessly bully our truth through, no 

matter how, no one wins. The challenge is not whether or not the truth can be 

discovered, but whether or not people are hurt in the process. 

When Jesus addressed the woman’s sin (the truth), He did it with love and grace.

 We too should strive for what is right. But in our striving let us endeavor to 

preserve the bond of love. For it is in this love that truth reigns. So, do the 

right thing.  

  Pastor Mark

        There is an on-line sports article I read occasionally that is basically a series of disconnected, spontaneous musings about anything and everything related to college football. The author is giving us the impression that he simply turns on his mind and  lets his pen fly without worrying how it sounds or what he says. A veritable waterfall without constraints is what follows. Now obviously his editor and experience as a journalist keep the article from being boring, inappropriate or poorly written. Still, it is a different experience and quite frankly, more entertaining.  Who knows, maybe it works because our culture is so “microwavish”. Yes, I know… That wasn’t a word. Actually, other  words aren’t words, but we still use them. For example, “Bazoongee(y)”. Okay, I’ll stop… Now, where was I? Oh, yes, living in a fast-paced world in which life happens without warning and all we have is the moment to make the right decision and use the right word.

          How,  you may ask, did we go from sports articles to bizarre words to, gulp, walking in the spirit?  Blame it on my computer if you wish, but I’ll tell ya, this is how it happens. Matter of fact, this is precisely what the Bible teaches us we should be most familiar with: Walking in the Spirit. Two thoughts come to mind. One is “walking”. We are a moving, active, unpredictable society. Once again, life is happening at a frantic pace whether we like it or not. The other thought is “Spirit”. We are to walk in the Spirit precisely because we don’t always have the time or inclination to carefully script our environment or interaction with it. The Bible teaches us that we have something operating within us that acts as two possible cores for reacting with our world. One is the flesh and the other is the person of the Holy Spirit. Basically we live in our actively moving, always demanding responses world with one or the other as the source of communication and interaction with it. The question is not whether or not we can control our environment, but what (or Who) fills our sails as we travel through it.

       The point to ponder is this: we are to be street smart Christians; because we often get only one shot atany given situation. Life comes at us fast and hard and we should become accustomed to letting God help us navigate and respond. There isn’t always time to script the perfect response. However, if we are accustomed to thinking on our feet with the loving graceFULL thoughts of Christ, then no matter how ast and hard life happens, our responses will be those of the Spirit. So, get moving in His Grace and strength and don’t worry about what waits around the corner. With the Spirit as your guide and strength, it will be just fine (even if it isn’t).

                                                          Pastor Mark

 March 2008 

           I was recently at an I.U. basketball game doing what all fans do - helping the coach and the referees.  It’s amazing what fans see (or think they see) from the bleachers. It’s also amazing how much we “all of a sudden” know about basketball.  I wonder what would happen if we were given the opportunity at that moment to coach of referee the game.  Well, if I were given the chance, I would discover what Bruce discovered in the movie Bruce Almighty - I know  a lot less about the job than I thought.

Throughout scripture a common theme emerges that bears directly on this idea - trust.  The issue of trust, however, is revealed not during some game or passing pleasure, but during life and death struggles in which God’s ways seem obscure and His presence hard to find.  Those Biblical peoples are often “pressed on every side” (Apostle Paul) with very little recourse other than “staying in the game” or giving in to the enemies around them.   I am comforted to know that they too wonder why God seemed absent or not up to the task of guiding His people through a hostile existence.  Jesus Himself spoke similarly in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Though He always trusted His Heavenly Father, He voiced what most of us feel.  It’s not so much that we questions God’s goodness or knowledge, but we may wonder if there isn’t an easier way to accomplish what He wants us to accomplish.  And, oh yes, He does want to accomplish something.  Remember what He said in Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the Day of Jesus Christ.”

So, as He is guiding, nudging and teaching us, stay in the bleachers.  He knows what He is doing.  He knows how to get the most out of our lives.  He also knows the “plays” of the Wicked One.  But be of good cheer.  God’s game plan cannot be thwarted.  By the way, I.U. won - even without my suggestions.

                                                                             Pastor Mark

February 2008

         February is smack dab in the middle of winter. If cold weather is a problem for you, well, you’re just going to have to hang on here or spend the next number of weeks in another state, i.e. Florida. Winter is winter and that’s just the way it is (that is, when a person calls Indiana home). I remember my two years in Marquette, Michigan. It was so cold and snowy, I began to feel like I lived in an igloo. Living in an igloo may seem great for some, but for me, it was a cold, dark, desolate place. To fix the problem, I either had to move or learn to adjust. Our lives present a similar problem. In so many things we find ourselves in situations that demand endurance, a change in attitude, or a change in circumstances. Often what happens is we simply live in what I would call a negative limbo. Whether it is a frustration due to location, vocation or relation(ships), it is easy to remain in less than desirable situations. What does the Bible have to say about such a predicament? First, it offers the possibility that you are where you need to be. God’s Word gives example after example of uncomfortable situations that God’s people find themselves in because God has guided them there. Israel in the wilderness, prophets speaking to unresponsive people, Joseph rejected by his brothers, Jonah in the belly of a great fish, David in the crosshairs of Saul and his other enemies, Paul with a thorn in his flesh, Jesus on the cross...on and on. We too are in hard spots. Whether it was a personal attack, an uncomfortable location, difficult task or any number of less than ideal situations God allows us to remain in, sometimes that is precisely where He intends us to be. Other times, we find ourselves stuck or uncomfortable because of decisions we have made (or have not made). How many of us have been miserable because we didn’t say “no”? Whether it was one too many projects or a temptation to sin that we didn’t say “no” to. We can find ourselves bound and stuck by our own lack of vigilance and self care. The question is this: Will we complain about “the cold” or will we engage the question of God’s will? If you are meant to live in an igloo, then stop complaining and start decorating. If it’s time to move on, then learn from the experience and pack your bags. God’s plan for our lives is meant to be engaged rather than passively and grudgingly experienced. We are to have our ears attuned to His leadership. He sometimes guides us into places that are tough, but always with a higher purpose in mind! If the problem is self-made, well, how’s it working for you? Dr. Phil asks that annoying question of people whose lives are in challenging spots due to their own lack of discipline or wisdom. When will we recognize that God wants us to be self-controlled, Spirit-inspired and Holy because, well, we were designed to live that way! We suffer (and those around us) when we aren’t. Don’t misunderstand me. I know we have a nature that is inclined to sin but I can’t think of a single time in which I have regretted saying no to sin and yes to the Spirit! Regretting sinful, self-centered decisions is a common experience for us all. So, stroll with God for a moment on the snowy tundra. Let Him help you see more clearly the purpose of your winter landscape. If He wants you there then button up and be warmed by the fire. If not, then look for the way of escape to that warm place of His will.

                                      Pastor Mark

What significance does 39 have for you? More than likely no significance. For me, the number 39 means something I have yet to discover. I know it is the age I reach late this month. Yet most of you have passed that number years ago. Well, for some reason I have a sense that something big will happen. Quite frankly, I don’t know why I’ve latched on to this number as being important in my life. It just seems that every time I look at a clock, watch, score or wherever else numbers can be found, I notice the number 39. Now, more than likely it is simply a number, but I cannot help having a strange feeling. Is it God telling me something? Is it an inner knowing about an end or a beginning? Who knows? What I do know is that all of us have had significant times and events throughout our lives that may or may not have been anything more than a passing moment.

Maybe that is the purpose of 39 for me; simply God’s way of showing me that nothing stays the same, while, at the same time, nothing ever changes. How many new years have you seen? How many promises to be new and different have you made? I was watching The Gunfighter from 1950 with Gregory Peck as the middle aged man being chased around the country because of his speed with a gun. It is a sad tale about a lonesome man being chased by a past and haunted by a love that will never be again. What strikes me as sad is the fact that he long ago made that movie for an audience who long ago passed milestones and dreams. Matter of fact, I am writing this Pastor’s Corner while listening to George Harrison’s Give Me Love. George Harrison died last year. I wonder if he remembered 39, old westerns, and old dreams?

The point is this: Who knows the end of our lives but God? Who knows whether or not our dreams will come true? Who knows the meaning of the days, years, and events that steal our thoughts and haunt our dreams? Maybe 39 will simply be another number, another year, another drop in the sea of being.

The one thing I am sure of, is that God loves us throughout our “39’s”. Whatever our hopes, joys, and sorrows, He is there to catch us. So no matter where you are or where you will be, He will be with you. I pray that His presence will steal your thoughts and haunt your dreams until, one day, we dream with Him in an eternity that never passes away. 

                                                                       Pastor Mark

December 2007

 I had my car washed today. While I waited behind the car in front of me, I noticed all the different soaps and cleaning agents used to remove the different layers and kinds of dirt. Apparently a dirty car is loaded with more than one kind of grime and goo. What often appears to be simply a basic haze of dirt may actually be layers of varying kinds of debris and filth. It generally didn’t adhere to your car in one fell swoop and to remove it takes more than a half-hearted effort.

The same could be said about other things in life. Consider the coming of Jesus as the perfect example. The world needed to be in just the right place with just the right people for God to accomplish His purposes. From the advent of new thought forms and belief in monotheism to a common language, road system, and currency, especially during the “Pax Romana”, otherwise known as the  Roman peace, to the calling and nurturing of the right prophets and people groups. One discovers that Jesus came into the world not a second too soon or too late. A lot had to happen and a lot had to be in place for God’s plan to be fulfilled.

Our lives reflect the same kind of complex journey. You didn’t get to your place in life by accident. A lot of water has moved under the bridge to help shape you. This is why change and growth is so difficult. We are multi-layered and multi-faceted. Simple solutions may be appealing but are often disappointing. Ok, ok, I know! Sometimes simple solutions DO work. But work with me here. I’m doing my best!  Anyway, the point is we should be aware that it has been God who has guided us through out our journey. He has watched step by step as we added layer upon layer to the mosaic of our lives. Our lives are not a series of accidents, but rather a beautifully unfolding plan in which we find ourselves engaged. No, I am not suggesting that we are somehow puppets on a string responding to Divine fiat. The mystery of God’s knowledge and providence wedded to human freedom is a question for minds more able than mine. I am simply saying you didn’t get where you were accidentally and without God’s knowledge. So as you consider the gift of Christ this season and ponder your place in God’s unfolding plan, pause to reflect on His glorious watch-care over you. He knows how to care for His sheep. He knows the paths you’ve taken and the baggage accumulated. Let Him continue to open and close doors. Let Him surprise you with His goodness and grace. After all, if God is able to orchestrate the creation of the world, guide it through the pangs of sin and death and nurture it into the time of Christ, isn’t He able to care for sometimes fussy, occasionally worried sheep like us?  

       Pastor Mark

November 2007

            The past several days I have been listening and studying debate after debate, covering topics such as the existence of God, Christianity and morality, science and religion, etc…  The arguments are simply fascinating. It is amazing to be in the presence (through video) of such keen minds debating the most important questions in the human experience. I found myself thinking about things that most of the time all of us take for granted. Quite frankly the debates were as entertaining as they were revealing. The issues and answers were as complex and varied as they were appealing. What seemed most interesting to me, however, was the fact that Christianity stood on ground that, even when assaulted by the most rigorous barbs, seemed immoveable. Sure Christians through time have done awful things and ducked responsibilities that their own confessions place upon them. Pointing out these facts and the challenges science brings to the table never seemed to scratch my religious itch. It was as if I was designed to believe even if the reasons for my faith seem inadequate to some and quite naïve to others. One well known Christian scholar was asked to share the most important thing he has learned in all his years of study. He said, “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.” Another man expressed his faith in this perspective: “I believe Christianity to be true the same way I believe the sun has risen. Not simply because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”

The challenge for Christians in the 21st century goes beyond having cogent arguments for the veracity of the claims they make. We have wonderful arguments that offer answers point by point to challenges leveled at our world view. No, the greatest challenge for me and you is to live out our Christianity in the midst of hostility without and within (both within the church and within the self). When the world sees the truthfulness of our faith not by what we say but by the “aroma” of our lives, it will give reason to consider Christ’s claims. The challenge has always been to “BE” what we profess. When love, gentleness, kindness, goodness, and the other fruits of the Spirit are wedded to our profession of the power of God is most clearly revealed.

So, think, speak, and be. The world is waiting for God’s people to stand in the darkness and be His authentic witness to the light of Christ. Like the old movie about building a baseball stadium, “If you build it, they will come”. For Christians, if we live it they will come “to Him”.

             Pastor Mark

         The New Testament reveals the life of Jesus as He illumined community after community to the hope of His message. The fact is, however, we only get a glimpse of the scope of His life. Of course, the glimpse we have is sufficient for our salvation and, at the same time, it reveals His love, mercy and teaching. It does not, however, cover all that He said and did. Matter of fact, in John 21:25, the author tells us there is much more to the story. Who else did He talk to? What else did He do? Not that these things would change the message of the man, but, as His disciple, I would like to know. Paul Harvey tells us that there is always more to the story when dealing with the human drama as it unfolds. Perhaps that is another reason God teaches us not to judge one another. Only He knows the depth and color of our journey. I wonder if sometimes we forget that God has more to say to us? As strange as it sounds, we are often guilty of keeping God at arm’s length. How is this possible you ask? Remember the rich young ruler? He gave God much, but held much back. Matter of fact, what he held back  was the thing closest to his heart. Maybe we give God our time but not our guilt. Perhaps we offer our praise but not our fear. Whether the “rest of the story” is a past failure, present problem, or future decision, we are invited to let message of hope shine in all our lives nooks and crannies. Remember, the more we give Him of our lives, the more our lives can reflect Him. Fullness of joy is mated with fullness of commitment. So, tell Him all of your story. Listen to the “soft sound of sandaled feet” as Jesus lovingly and wisely meanders through the labyrinth of your life. You will be surprised at the peace and freedom that He longed to share with you, only waiting for our hearts and lives to open more fully to His truth.     

                                                   Pastor Mark

 September 2007           

              One of the most important things I’ve learned during the first 15 years of ministry is that people change when they are ready to change and not a minute before. I know, this is a pretty obvious reality and most of us agree with it. There is lurking beneath, however, a nagging sense in which we desire and have the power to change people. How many times have we explained (to no effect) why someone should do this or cease from doing that? How often have we nagged at someone, hoping to move them toward this behavior or away from that, only to have little or no impact? How much have we hoped and believed that once we get someone to see it from our perspective they would embrace it and all would be well? For ministers this is an especially easy trap to fall into. We figure that if the sermon hits the mark, the congregation will suddenly have a collective epiphany and change the world. Okay, maybe not that extreme, but we really do think that all it takes is pointing the people in the right direction and off they go into a future of faithfulness and love. Life doesn’t quite work that way. Proverbs is full of wisdom and God’s call to heed it. Matter of fact, all of scripture cries out with Godly direction, divine counsel, and holy warnings. Unfortunately, people do what people do, the way they want to do it, as often as they please.

          All that being said, what am I telling you? I am simply saying this: you do what you do because you want to do it - even when it isn’t the best for you or others. How many times has Dr. Phil asked: “How’s it working for you?”, the question that doesn’t need an answer because they (and everyone else) know it isn’t “working for them”. What he and the rest of the world know is that you truly can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. When the horse is ready, his head will drop down and he will drink as much as he wants at the pace he wants it, no more, no less. The problem for us isn’t that we don’t know what to do, think, or say. We know what Jesus did and God teaches us. No, the problem is the “want to” in each of us. The truth is, we struggle with a stubborn willfulness that precludes a life of obedience, even when part of us longs to be. This is where God partners with us through His presence. Remember Jesus telling the disciples in John that without Him they could do nothing? The same is true for us today. To live the life we are invited to live we need His help. His help, however, tends to manifest itself as we move forward rather than remain stagnant. Sure, God can do WHAT he wants, AS He wants, WHEN He wants, FOR AS LONG as He wants. Generally though, God moves in our lives as we participate with Him. As we choose to surrender every facet of our lives to His leadership, we discover the wisdom and freedom of following Christ’s pattern of life. The trick is, we must want to do it. God generally doesn’t force us to go in the direction we are unwilling to go. Kind of like Pharaoh's hardened heart. God only “greased the tracks” in the direction Pharaoh wanted to go.

             It is up to us to decide that a life of growth, love, and obedience is the life we want. Perhaps there is truth in the statement, “when the student is ready the teacher will come”. Similarly, when the we are ready to follow Him, the power will come to accomplish it. So stand up, shake off the dust of inertia, and live in the power of His might.

         This Pastor's corner was a whole lot more interesting and helpful before my pen started to scratch the paper. On that note, my sermons tend to have more impact and make more sense before the first word reverberates through the sound system.  Illustrations  are more poignant,  observations more memorable, and points more cogent. It’s like dressing in the dark…. hard to know how you actually look until you see yourself in the truth of light and mirror.  This reality spills over into so many other areas of life.  Our ideas, words, behaviors, and experiences can change color once we commit to them or they are committed to us.  We know, too, that this reality can have both a paralyzing and demoralizing effect upon what we do and think.  Maybe  the issue is pride or simply a lack of awareness concerning the human condition. What were the apostles NOT understanding when Jesus taught them that they themselves weren’t the source of power, only the conduit through which it flowed?

What then should be done?  Shall we not venture forth because reality busts our bubble, or tarnishes our vision of what we hoped would be?  Shall we quit striving to be the best that we can be because we discover that we are not the best?  If this were our attitude, then books would not be written; songs would not be sung; sermons would not be preached; games would not be played; laughter would not be heard - if doing those things required perfection. One man put it this way: don’t criticize the way a dog plays checkers, just be amazed that he’s playing.  This isn’t a call to strive for mediocrity.  It is simply a reminder that though our best may not be the best, it still has something to offer.  Learn from criticism, but don’t let it define you. Learn to grow, but don’t fear if you don’t grow as quickly as you (or others) would like.  God simply asks us to wake up each day with the awareness of divine possibilities. It is amazing what happens when we trust that our efforts, mixed with God’s loving, graceful and wise help, will be able to accomplish what He intends.  It is important for us all to remember that we are imperfect people, celebrating being loved by a perfect God. So, even if my sermons and Pastor’s Corners are not as perfect as I would like them to be, someone is getting the message that God intended, because it has always been and will continue to be God who gives the message its power.