If Christmas is a Mess..

Weeks ago, my daughter and I were singing along to the Christmas music that was playing outside a shopping area. She enjoys all those overplayed classics, like Frosty the Snowman or Santa Claus is Coming to Town.. because for her they are fresh and new. As we both sang along, I heard her continue “He’s making a mess, he’s checking it twice!” We both looked at each other. And she said, “Mommy, Why is Santa making a mess?”
If Santa is the one to blame for initiating the tradition of gift-giving which has grown into today’s frenzied shopping, then my daughter is right – Santa has made a mess of Christmas.*

Christmas, however, has always been messy. We may like to remember it as the Silent, Holy Night.. but Jesus was born in a noisy, preoccupied, and crowded town of Bethlehem. If, today, we become discouraged by the competing factors of commercialization at the holidays, it is important we remember that the first Christmas had it’s own set of challenges. Royal decrees, traffic jams as people traveled for the census, and stressed-out innkeepers all made for a less than holy first Christmas. This is the good news of Christmas; that God could appear despite all complications – that God is be born into “the mess”.

In my family growing up, it was a logistical nightmare to get all five of us to church (on time!) for the Candlelight Christmas Eve service. By the time we settled into the pew, we were worn out by the frenzy of Christmas preparations. As the lights dim, and the story was retold in music and scripture – it was as if journeyed back to Bethlehem.. but this time, we get a chance to truly receive Him. Stressed out at the start of the worship service, I always left with a new sense of God’s peace and love.
I hope that this Christmas, your heart was also humbled by God’s love for you. We had an incredible offering of music by the Olivet Choir, vocalist Janna Bruno, and guitar/singer Kyle Samilton and his friend from Frostburg State . So many kids and adults participated in the reading of scripture and the retelling of the story. It was a time once more for the Holy Spirit to draw near to us.. and to draws us closer to one another.

May Christ continue to born in us – deepening our love for each other and for God – not just on Christmas but throughout the year ahead.

* Do you find it challenging to fit Santa’s large, jolly persona into humble manger where Christ was born? Invite you to check out the book A Special Place for Santa. It was given to me by Kit and Dave Jones and I really love it! This is an excellent book for any who want to reclaim the sacred meaning of Christmas while at the same time celebrating with a cultural icon. It teaches the lessons of kindness and generosity by retelling the legend of Saint Nicholas who gave to the poor on Christmas day.

When Christmas Includes Cancer... Pray for a Cure

Keeping Christmas Merry can be a source of stress for those who have lost loved ones are who are coping with cancer. People with cancer and their families and friends often approach the holidays with conflicting feelings: excitement, worry, hope, exhaustion, and happiness. Our December 5th worship services will include a time of prayer and healing as a response to the needs of our world. God's incredible love is dwelling among us. No matter what - the hope of Advent is that we can receive the life-giving gift of Jesus Christ today.

PRAY for a Cure..

CANDLE #1 Memory Candle

The first candle we light is the memory candle. Christmas is a time filled with memories of those we love. As we light this candle, lift your candle as you remember someone who wont be with you this Christmas.

(silence)

Heaven at Last— by Horatius Bonar

Angel voices sweetly singing,

Echoes through the blue dome ringing,

News of wondrous gladness bringing...

Ah, 'tis heaven at last!

Now beneath us all the grieving,

All the wounded spirit's heaving,

All the woe of hopes deceiving...

Ah 'tis heaven at last!

Sin for ever left behind us,

Earthly visions cease to blind us,

Fleshly fetters cease to bind us...

Ah, 'tis heaven at last!

On the jasper threshold standing,

Like a pilgrim safely landing

See, the strange bright scene expanding...

Ah 'tis heaven at last!

What a city! what a glory!

Far beyond the brightest story

Of the ages old and hoary...

Ah, 'tis heaven at last!

Softest voices silver pealing,

Freshest fragrances spirit-healing,

Happy hymns around us stealing...

Ah, 'tis heaven at last!

Gone the vanity and folly,

Gone the dark and melancholy,

Come the joyous and the holy...

Ah, 'tis heaven at last!

Not a broken blossom yonder,

Not a link can snap asunder,

Stay'd the tempest, sheathed the thunder...

Ah, 'tis heaven at last!

Not a tear-drop ever falleth,

Not a pleasure ever palleth,

Song to song for evercalleth...

Ah, 'tis heaven at last!

Christ Himself the living splendour,

Christ the sunlight mild and tender;

Praises to the Lamb we render...

Ah, 'tis heaven at last!

Now at length the veil is rended,

Now the pilgrimage is ended,

And the saints their thrones ascended...

Ah, 'tis heaven at last!

Broken death's dread bands that bound us,

Life and victory around us,

Christ the King Himself hath crowned us...

Ah,'tis heaven at last!

Candle # 2 Survivors Candle- Conquerors and their Caregivers

The second candle we light is the survivors candle. As we light this candle, lift your candle in honor of someone who has been given the miracle of more time.

So many survivors are thankful for those who stood strong beside them.

So, as we light a candle for survivors may we also recognize the blessing of the strength of caregivers – Caregivers go unrecognized, yet they are survivors too.. Hear these words from the apostle Paul who describes the role of God in the life a caregiver–
“Praise be to the God who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

To my Friend by Beverly Anderson

I stood one day at my wits end-

Then you came in the door, my friend;

And just your very presence brought

A ray of light for which I’d sought.

And as we sat and talked a while,

My frown soon changed into a smile.

New hope sprang forth, dispelling fear,

The path ahead became more clear.

you truly seemed to understand-

Your spoken word; warm clasp of hand

Were what I needed that bleak day,

And I thank God you passed my way.

Now, unafraid, with courage strong

I face each day with joyous song.

And if some day I see a friend

Who stands alone, at his wits end,

I pray that I, to him will be

The caring friend, you were to me.

CANDLE #3 For Those Battling Illness

The third candle is for those who are battling illness this day. As we light this candle,

hold up your candle as an outward expression of holding up their life to the grace of God.

His Everlasting Grace by Dolores Karides

I bow my head in reverence

And repeat my morning prayer,

I know God hears my every work

And keeps me in His care.

He knows when illness threatens me

And when I’m racked with pain,

He knows the hour I need His help

And makes me well again.

He knows my needs before I do

And gives me strength to cope,

He knows my faith in Him is strong

And fills my life with hope.

Then when the daylight dims and fades

I say my evening prayer

And know His love envelops, me,

For He is always there.

Now we invite all who desire prayer to come forward at this time. When you come forward, you may receive the blessing of a prayer with the oil. As people are coming forward, be in prayer for them.

Anointing at altar while song playing on organ, “On Eagles Wings”

Candle #4 Hope;

The last final candle we light is a candle of hope. Let us all hold up our light as we

declare that every battle fought on earth has already been won in heaven, the victory is

already there. For nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

What Cancer Cannot Do Author Unknown
Cancer is so limited...
It cannot cripple love.
It cannot shatter hope.
It cannot corrode faith.
It cannot eat away peace.
It cannot destroy confidence.
It cannot kill friendship.
It cannot shut out memories.

It cannot silence courage.

It cannot reduce eternal life.

It cannot quench the Spirit.

A Life Giving Christmas

A crowd of restless children lined up inside the shopping mall for their annual photo opportunity with Santa Claus. Oddly, a self-conscious 30 year-old woman (without any kids in tow) joined the others in line to sit on Santa’s lap. Now, we all know that Santa doesn't usually take requests from adults, but after waiting in line with children for 20 minutes, Santa didn’t turn her down. She cautiously approached him and asked,
“I know that this is unusual Santa.. but may I give you my Christmas Wish List?”
“Well, sure. Have a seat and tell me what you want for Christmas,” replied Santa. “There is just one thing on my list…Something for my mother,” said the woman sweetly. “Well, that's very loving and thoughtful of you,” smiled Santa,“What do would you like me to bring her?” Without missing a beat she answered quickly, “A son-in-law.”
If only it was that simple, right? Relationships, harmony, peace in our homes and our world – these can’t be bought in a shopping mall.
Last Sunday, everyone at church was invited to answer the question, “What is your deepest hope this Christmas?” Instead of crafting a Christmas Wish List of things that can be bought, we began a church-wide “Hope List” of the deepest longings of our soul.
The Hope List is our first step toward a life-giving Christmas. The Hope List will become our prayer list over these weeks leading up to Christmas. Keeping hope before us stands in contrast to the culture that identifies wishes and wants as the source of a merry holiday. To keep hope before us is how we will focus on Christ this Christmas. Several volunteers will take your individual hopes and turn them into Christmas Ornaments which will decorate the tree in our sanctuary.
Consider the hope of your neighbor. Hold them in prayer. To know each other’s hopes and to support one another in prayer is the first step toward preparing for Christ, rather than just getting ready for a holiday. For these weeks of Advent, let’s keep Hope alive. The full list will be available to each of you – I hope you will incorporate these prayers into your spiritual discipline of daily prayer this Advent season..

Revelation 7 thoughts on Halloween

In October, the excitement of Halloween can bring great joy to kids and adults. Carving pumpkins, wear a costume, trick-or-treating..what’s not to love? The United Methodist Men of Olivet threw a wonderful party between the worship services on the last Sunday of the month. Thanks to Jane Gribble for the decorating the hall. Kit Jones for leading the children's arts & crafts. Mary Novak who prepared delicious "eyeballs" (a pasta/meatball combinations) to eat at fellowship hour. I think we all got a good laugh at the well-costumed Hood family – and watching the children try to eat powdered donuts that hung from the limbo stick!

You could say that my participation in Halloween is in line with the kind of innocent fun we had at Olivet. It could be rated “G” or “E” for everyone. Since my daughters still prefer the princess and fairy costumes over the witches and skeletons, I had forgotten that there is another side of Halloween. The dark side: with zombies and Dracula’s. The side of Halloween that depicts death and the demonic.
Strangely, the dark side of Halloween came to my attention on a recent kindergarten field trip to a pumpkin patch. Along with learning about corn and harvesting, this farm included a hayride. This seemed harmless enough until the tractor rounded a corner and were in a wooded area with gory images of bodies hanging from trees suddenly met our eyes! One of the young girls in my group became so frightened she had to be held. Even in broad daylight, she was terrified by the people jumping out and the animated witches on brooms. Adults nearby comforted her, “It’s make-believe, honey, it’s make-believe.” I told her, “Close your eyes, don’t look at it.” It occurred to me as I held her that what we saw was not just spooky, it was violent. Worse, it depicted violence that ends in death.
Later when the kids were talking about their sisters and brothers, this little one sadly said that she had a sister, but her sister had died.
That was when I realized that although it is true that violence we saw was make-believe – this girl knew that death is not. Death is not pretend, not for any of us. But death, for us who have faith, isn’t scary. It is not spooky or something to be feared. Death is the beginning of a new life in God’s glory.
Halloween was on a Sunday and it coincided this year with our celebration of All Saints/ All Souls, The scripture reading was from Revelation 7, where John is able to take a peek into the realm of heaven. He sees those who have died together at the throne of God. He is not afraid, but amazed at this musical gathering of people and angels living and worshiping together. I don’t know if John expected that heaven would be a time of eternal retirement, where we relax on a cloud while a cherub serenades us with a harp – but it certainly was not what he saw. The picture of heaven is active and busy.
In our worship service for All Saints/All Souls, the gathered community lifted up the names of those who died in the last year. We were reminded of the words from Philippians, that our citizenship is beyond earth, it is in heaven.. and someday each of use will join the multitudes in with eternal gratitude for what God has brought us through in life.
Olivet Church dedicated a new memorial plaque which will be located in the church sanctuary as a tangible place of honor for those we love. Each name was read and the church bell tolled in reverence.
May we rest in the truth of the promises of the Lord- that in death, He gives us life, in darkness, light and in sorrow, hope.

Graphic of Sin & Salvation

In a recent search for information on the internet, I came across this animated image depicting sin (separation from God) and the saving grace of Christ.

I included it here - Also, to learn more, visit the website that it came from about "getting right with God."

Judgement in Luke 18:9-14

This last Sunday, one of our lay speakers, Tiffany Gaines delivered a wonderful sermon on the parable from Luke 18:9-14. Many people have asked me to repost her sermon illustration about judging others on the basis of what we see. I have located it for you! Although the illustration is not fact, it is still a very great example of how people can be blinded by stereotypes. Thanks Tiffany for such a thoughtful, well-delivered sermon on laity Sunday!

A lady in a faded gingham dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun threadbare suit, stepped off the train in Boston, and walked timidly without an appointment into the president's outer office.
The secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods, country hicks had no business at Harvard and probably didn't even deserve to be in Cambridge.
She frowned. "We want to see the president," the man said softly.
"He'll be busy all day," the secretary snapped.
"We'll wait," the lady replied. For hours, the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become discouraged and go away. They didn't. And the secretary grew frustrated and finally decided to disturb the president, even though it was a chore she always regretted to do.
"Maybe if they just see you for a few minutes, they'll leave," she told him.
And he sighed in exasperation and nodded. Someone of his importance obviously didn't have the time to spend with them, but he detested gingham dresses and homespun suits cluttering up his outer office.
The president, stern-faced with dignity, strutted toward the couple.
The lady told him, "We had a son that attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was happy here. But about a year ago, he was accidentally killed. And my husband and I would like to erect a memorial to him, somewhere on campus."
The president wasn't touched, he was shocked. "Madam," he said gruffly. "We can't put up a statue for every person who attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery."
"Oh, no," the lady explained quickly. "We don't want to erect a statue. We thought we would like to give a building to Harvard."
The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress and homespun suit, then exclaimed "A building! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the physical plant at Harvard."
For a moment the lady was silent.
The president was pleased. He could get rid of them now.
And the lady turned to her husband and said quietly, "Is that all it costs to start a University? Why don't we just start our own?"
Her husband nodded.
The president's face wilted in confusion and bewilderment.
And Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California where they established the University that bears their name, a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer cared about.

You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who can do nothing for them or to them.

The Lesser Told Story of the Miners

This month, we've been studying the 2nd Letter to Timothy, one of the three Pastoral Epistles in the New Testament. Last Sunday, we looked at 2 timothy3: 14- 4:5. Paul tells Timothy to Preach, proclaim, persist and persuade and then concludes “Do the work of an evangelist.”

“An evangelist? Really?” you wonder to yourself, “Surely, a run-of-the-mill Christian like myself is not an evangelist. Evangelists cause a scene. That's not me.”

But before you determine that evangelism is not for you. I want to share with you a story from the rescue of the Chilean Miners. It's a story few people may have heard about. It is a story of evangelism.

A man named Igor Bravo is the engineer who owns the geo-technical monitoring company that was called on to assist with the rescue efforts when the 33 men were trapped in a living room-sized chamber beneath the earth. The job of his company was to design a way to get through to the men with supplies. They were successful but as they continued, Igor became concerned that there was more than just miners' physical needs at stake. If they were to survive 2,000 feet below the earth, they needed hope.

See, Igor was a trained engineer who also attended a local church. He was a Christian, a Baptist, who may have learned (as paul describes Timothy) of the teachings of the bible from childhood. We don’t know for sure, but he said later that his faith is important in everything he does. He saw the devastation of the situation and he told reporters later, "I had to help in some Christian way." (emphasized by me)

Igor Bravo called his pastor, Luis Cortéz, for help. They decided that if the pastor could get bibles, inspirational music or audio of sermons to the site, then Bravo would send it down to the men.
The result? Those men were lifted up, not only by prayers of us on the outside, but by the inspirational Christian music, sermons and also the 33 Bibles that were made available. The men essentially “had church” a half-mile underground!

Igor Bravo said,
“If there is an opportunity to share the Gospel -- to contribute to the Christian cause and evangelism, it's something that's in [my] blood, in the church as a whole that all of us, no matter our job, are evangelists.”

All of us are evangelists.
All of us see needs everyday. They may not be as dramatic as the needs of men in peril a half mile beneath the earth. But the needs are there all around us.

For Igor Bravo, the need of God’s people was plain and clear. There was danger and the men were trapped.
But there are people in danger all around us. They may not be trapped 2000 feet underground, but they are trapped by relationships, substances – they are running on the wrong path in life and like a mine that only has so much oxygen, there is only so much life left on those paths that bring about death and destruction.
Does any of us see opportunity to be an evangelist right in your neighborhood? In your community involvement? In the gym you work out at or in the grocery store where you shop?
All of us are called to be evangelists - and invite people to the source of life – the grace of God in Jesus – For us at Olivet, we reconnect with the grace of God's love when we attend worship together. When we meet and remember and proclaim the “good news” that none of us is trapped. Life can be different as we grow in our understanding of the mystery of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection.
Invite someone to church. A stranger. A coworker. A neighbor. Afterall, it is most likely that you made your way to Olivet by invitation.
Let us learn from the committed faith of Igor Bravo, and see that all of us can do the work of an evangelist.
For more on the story of Igor, visit Baptist Press for more.

In Honor of Lieutenant Looney

This last week on the cover of the local newspaper was a photo of a young man who died in the war. Lieutenant Brendan Looney, USN, 29. He was a navy seal, and one of the nine special forces personnel killed when a NATO helicopter crashed in Afghanistan on Tuesday.

He was on the cover of our paper because of his connection to Calvert County. So many were looking forward to him coming home this month - and this tragedy struck everyone so deeply.

The funeral was at Arlington was last week – and as ridiculous as this may sound, the TV news reported that as the hearse rounded the hill to enter the gates of Arlington, they were greeted by several protestors. Yes, protestors. Angry people who were not there for any personal reason against Brendan (they didn't know him) but they were there to make a theological statement about his death. The statement on cardboard signs was their statement of faith "Thank God for Dead Soldiers." "God Hates You."

Paul in his writing in 2 Timothy points out that heretical teaching harms innocent bystanders. This was certainly true last week.

The actions of the protestors have become a case to be argued before the Supreme Court - They call their protesting "freedom of speech." And certainly people have a right to such freedom.. but even when it means offending the family trying to make their way to the funeral of their young son killed in combat?

For the court, the question is: When does free speech become harassment?

For me as a pastor, the question isL when does for freedom of interpretation of scripture (which I believe we need) become harassment?

Paul's advice to Timothy,was not to fight the battle but to remind them. Remind them.
Remind them of what?
Remind them of the salvation story. The Holy Mystery. That Christ is Died, Risen and will come again. Remember it for yourself and remind others. It will keep things in perspective.
The Holy Mystery of our salvation is profound. We all can agree that there are things on this side of heaven that will be won and lost. But the one who is eternally linked to the soul of Christ Jesus will endure, die and be raised to new heights in the end. What matters most, it seems, is that we cling to the truth of this Holy Mystery... even though it holds a truth that none of us can ever fully grasp.

I offer the Holy Mystery to my brothers and sisters of WBC who believe that God is punishing our nation by killing soldiers. I remind you of the salvation story. You are right that in order for us to be saved, there is punishment for sin. But the punishment is over. The debt of sin has already been paid. No more sacrifices need to be made to attone for the sin of our our nation (or every nation for that matter)

The mysterious part of all of this is that the punishment was not upon us who deserved it, but upon Himself. He paid the cost. Once and for all.

I remind you and I remember it for myself because in pondering this mystery of faith is how we grow in grace.

Back to School – A Fresh Start

It’s been years since I boarded a school bus or had to shop for school supplies. But this last month, I became a part of these end of summer rituals because my oldest daughter started kindergarten. She stepped onto the school bus and waved goodbye! Not just to me.. but also her pre-school years.
As she eagerly anticipated the first day of school, I remembered fondly the back-to-school excitement. Each school year began a clean, blank notebook, several shiny folders and sharpened pencils. It was as if my even my school supplies were alert and ready to get started. My mother took the annual “First Day of School Photo” and a new year began.
Walking through my neighborhood one evening before school was in session, I passed a group of kids sitting alongside the sidewalk, in the grass, with their skateboards talking. Not intending to eavesdrop, I plainly heard one boy remark, “This year, I’m in a whole new school. All those rumors from last year? I can leave them behind.” Ah, yes. A new school year offers the hope of a fresh start socially, as well.
My less pleasant “back-to-school memories” are the ones matched with the “low feeling” that would set in by mid-fall. My school supplies were worn out or missing. The 3-ring binder no longer snapped shut perfectly. The coursework was actually work. By Thanksgiving, any fresh start I thought I had was certainly over.
In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he writes “If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” This lovely line is usually found on inspirational posters and matched beautifully with a photo of a butterfly or a rainbow. As inspiring as that appears, the words are lifeless for anyone who is “in Christ” but feels discouraged with old, reoccurring struggles. If we don’t see the effects of the “new creation in Christ” does that mean we are not fully in Christ? No. Paul says don’t regard each other (or situations) from a “worldly point of view”. The work of Christ in our lives is sometimes hidden, but it is always there.
In education, the best teachers are those who find the hidden potential of a student and call it forth. That is why teaching takes patience and fortitude. At the turn of twentieth century in Boston, there was a child named “Little Annie” whom doctors had determined was beyond hope. They placed her in an asylum where she became so violent that she was given solitary confinement.
One Christian teacher took notice of Little Annie and reached out. Each day, she would read to the child, talk to her, and offer her a cookie. The child never responded. The teacher didn’t give up hope and kept extending God’s grace to her. After two years, the girl was transformed! Little Annie was told she could leave the asylum. However, she chose to stay. Little Annie stayed and worked with patients who were suffering, believing in people when no one else cared. She extended the love as it had been extended to her.
Today, you know “Little Annie” better as Annie Sullivan who worked hard to teach (and reach) a deaf and blind girl named Helen Keller. As an adult, Helen Keller attributed her success in overcoming her handicap to tenacious love of Annie Sullivan, a teacher who could see beyond outward appearances*.
Outward appearances can be deceiving. As Christians, God loved us when we were far from perfect. We are to pass on that grace to others and look beyond appearances.
A fresh start can come at the beginning of a new year – it can come as the calendar rolls over a new page. But the real fresh start is what God gives us through Jesus - and we give each other in His name.

Thanks be to God!

*Story of Annie Sullivan taken from the book Victory Over the Darkness by Neil Anderson.

We are the Clay

Each Sunday before Easter, we will begin our time of worship by singing "Change my Heart O God".
The song, based on Isaiah 64, invites us to consider ourselves as formless clay in the hands of the Divine Potter.
Have you ever watched a potter work at a spinning wheel? It is quite a process. First, the clay is pounded, softened.. only then is it ready to take the form that the potter has envisioned. The potters hands plunge deep into the center of the clay and draw forth a beautiful shape. The result? A unique piece of pottery with the handprints of the potter all across it!
The season of Lent is a time for you and I to be reshaped by God. Consider that you are clay in the hands of God's grace. You can't spin yourself into shape. You need the hands of the Potter to draw forth your beauty.The process of becoming who you are is not self determined - although we would prefer to think we are in charge of our lives!

This Lenten season, ponder each day that God’s hands are holding you. Give yourself over to these Hands - surrender to the One who first formed you in your mothers womb, who sees you this day and loves you even more.

Sticks out like a sore thumb

This Sunday, our scripture is from Luke chapter 9, titled The Transfiguration. This scripture is always placed before us on our church calendar so that we read and examine it on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, the Sunday before we begin the season of Lent. Consequently, the sermon is often about mountaintop experiences, the children's sermon is about Jesus' dazzling clothes.. and if you are like me, you dread the whole thing.. thinking, "Oh, not that crazy scene from scripture again." And we hold our breath until next week, when we can finally get on to the more realistic, "meatier" business of Lent.
It is unfortunate that Transfiguration Sunday sticks out on the church calendar like an odd iridescent, glowing, thumb... It really ought to be respected for what it truly is: An important stepping stone for us as we head into the next 40 days of Lent.
(FYI on Lent: Lent is the season before Easter when, in 40 days, we come to terms with whatever it is in our spirits that is keeping us from Loving God and neighbor. It is a time when we turn our hearts toward God. When we ask God to get rid of the sin within us. Sometimes we give up a bad habit or secret pleasure during Lent, as a way not just to break the habit, but to force our whole self into reality that we don’t belong to ourselves, we belong to God.)
So, this strange scripture that we read ever year at this time, right before Lent, is actually full of meaning for us heading into a season of repentance, a season of Lent.
Why? Well, because when Jesus headed up the mountain to pray, it wasn’t for just his regular prayer time.. if Jesus ever HAD plain old regular prayer time like the rest of us, this prayer time was different. Because he was praying about what lay ahead of him. A painful death by crucifixion.
Reminds me of that question sometimes people ask, What would you do if you knew you had only two months left to live? And people say things like, I’d skydive. What did Jesus do? He gathered with friends and prayed for strength, for guidance, for fortitude.
What is different about Jesus knowing he only has a couple months left to live.. and that pretend scenario, is that if the scenario is to be asked the way that Jesus was being presented with it, the question for you and I would be..
What would you do if you knew you had only two months left?
And that you would die in a torture chamber, beaten, mocked and then killed the most slow painful death??
Posed that way, we don’t really think so much about skydiving, huh?
Only when we think about it this way, do we begin to understand why he went up that mountain.. and only then do we get a glimpse, not just of the radiating face of Jesus - but the dazzling prescence of God who gives strength, guidance, fortitude to the Christ who will suffer for us.

When Cats Fall From the Sky

A Pastor discovered a kitten had climbed up the tree outside his parsonage. Having a heart for all of God’s creatures, the pastor took it upon himself to get the little kitty out of the tree. He tried calling and coaxing her down by holding out tuna. But she wouldn’t stop crying and was too scared to move. Seeing that the tree wasn’t sturdy enough for the him to climb, he figured would need to lower the branch in order to grab the kitten. Pondering it more, he constructed a plan to tie a rope to the branch and then to the bumper of his car. If he could drive slowly away, the tree branch might bend enough to allow him to stop the car, jump out and rescue the kitten.
He got a rope, tied it to the tree and his vehicle and then slowly pulled the car forward, frequently checking his progress in the mirror. But just as he moved a bit further forward... the rope snapped. The tree limb went "boing!" and the kitten sailed through the air - out of sight.
The pastor felt terrible. He walked all over the neighborhood asking people if they'd seen a stray little kitten. Nobody had. Giving up, he prayed, "Lord, I just commit this kitten to your keeping," and went on about his business.
Oddly, a few days later while shopping at the grocery store, he happened run into one of the church members. He noticed that in her shopping cart she had cat food. Now the Pastor knew this woman didn’t like pets, so he asked her, "Why are you buying cat food? You didn’t get a cat, did you?” She replied, "You won't believe this," and proceeded to tell him her story. Evidently, her daughter had been begging for a cat, but Mom kept refusing. She kept begging until finally, the exasperated Mom told her little girl, "Well, if the Lord gives you a cat, I'll let you keep it."
The lady ended her story to the pastor, "Would you believe, I watched my child go out in the backyard, get on her knees, and ask Lord for a cat. And really, Pastor, it sounds crazy, but a kitten dropped out of the clear blue sky, with its paws spread out, and landed right in front her!"
Isn’t this somehow the way things work? We try our best to solve a problem, to make a difference and yet we bumble things up miserably? Or we resist and insist that something doesn’t occur (like our daughter getting a cat) only to find that the power of prayer trumps our human logic? Thankfully, God is in charge to cover our mistakes and ensure that every lost kitten gets into the hands of the one who truly loves it. No matter what.
In the last ten years, many of you have felt like the outlook for Olivet was dismal. Our worship attendance and membership was in decline, our financial situation was stessful ... and to pray for a reversal seemed as crazy as praying for a cat to fall from the sky.
I am delighted to report that Cats Are Falling From The Sky for us at Olivet. Incredible growth has occurred. We reached the end of the decade in strong financial and numerical standing. Overall, we weathered a decade where it felt, at times, for many of us that our prayers could never be answered. As we go into a new year, we go with a sense of God's faithfulness and steadfast prescence.
Every Pastor prays to someday serve a church during it's season of growth. I am humbled to be a part of Olivet in these days!
The February Newsletter that comes out next week will include an end of year, end of decade, report on our church. I invite you to read it over and notice God has blessed us. The vital ministry of Olivet is an expression of the faith of each of you and your confidence in God's provision.

Considering Some Scenarios

This came in through the e-mail - so who knows if it is true or not, but it got me thinking. So I wanted to share it with you.

You are asked 2 scenarios, which you should read and respond to yourself, before scrolling down.

Scenario #1: If you knew a woman who was pregnant, who had 8 kids already, three who were deaf, two who were blind, one mentally retarded, and she had syphilis; would you recommend that she have an abortion?
Think about it.

Now, read the next before scrolling down.

Scenario # 2: Pretend that it is time to elect your next leader. Here are the facts about the three leading candidates: Pick one.


Candidate A
Associates with crooked politicians, and consults with astrologists. He's had two mistresses. He also chain smokes and drinks quite a few martinis a day.


Candidate B
He was kicked out of office twice, sleeps until noon, used opium in college and drinks a great deal of whisky every evening.


Candidate C
He is a decorated war hero. He's a vegetarian, doesn't smoke, drinks an occasional beer and hasn't had any extramarital affairs.


Which of these candidates would be your choice? Decide first.
No peeking!!!
Then, scroll down for the answer.



















Candidate A is Franklin D. Roosevelt
Candidate B is Winston Churchill
Candidate C is Adolph Hitler


and by the way, the answer to the abortion question—if you said yes, you just killed Beethoven.

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Well I "fell" into this one. Did you?