MINISTRY

RUNNING ON EMPTY

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I approach today exhausted from the weekend.

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It was a phenomenal weekend!

Family reunion Saturday! What an incredible day it was.

Then Sunday was church! It always amazes me how much energy goes out of me when I preach and pray.

Normally I take off from Sunday right after service until Monday evening Men’s Ministry. This week though I had a quick church board meeting after service and then several pastoral calls to make Sunday afternoon.

Monday morning was the big change though. I have been praying for some time about launching another DLT (which stands for doing life together) group on a morning during the week. I think it will be on Mondays at 9:30 A.M.

So this week I met with a group of people to talk about the launch of this group. It looks like it is a go.

So I will be moving my day off from Mondays to another day of the week.

In ministry work schedule changes are almost a seasonal thing. They are generally led and created by God (or at least by seeing where He is working in your community and responding to that move). But I have found that no matter how inspired or called or ordained the change is, it generally takes my body some time to adjust to the new rhythm. In the in between time I often find myself extremely tired and easily distracted when I should be focusing.

WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU DO TO HELP YOURSELF ADJUST DURING TIMES OF TRANSITION?

Family Weekend

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This weekend we had a family reunion on my mother’s side. I was originally going to hold it at the church, but we all know we are in a season of lasts with Mom. This may be her last opportunity to see her family all together in one place, so I opted to hold it at The Vicarage.

Sevy and Kristine got to meet Uncle Tom, and my cousin Nada and her husband Ray

My cousin Matthew and his wife Brittney came with their children Justice and Aria.

My cousins Todd and Dan andMike and Barbara also came. Later my daughter Melanie came with her children.

The biggest hit of the day with the adults was the catching up with each others’ lives.

The biggest hit of the day with the kids was the solar bird bath and the pile of stones in the driveway.

WHAT DO YOU DO AT YOUR FAMILY REUNIONS?

Getting Ready

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The Vicarage is hosting a family reunion of the Tenny cousins this Saturday.

Melanie, James and Joe helped me set up the three party tents as part of the yard work we have done. Amanda mowed part of the lawn and I mowed part. I did some hedge cutting yesterday and some weed whacking.

Now we just need to pick up some extra chairs and we should be all set.

ARE YOU HAVING A FAMILY REUNION THIS YEAR?

“You Must See What I Am Doing!”

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About five years ago I began hearing this line over and over again in my private prayer times. I hear it to this day.

This morning one of my congregants posted a question in my Facebook Feed.

WHAT WAS THE GREATEST TEMPTATION JESUS HAD TO ENDURE?

His answer and my response brought me right back to this long standing question.

Ray says…What was the greatest temptation Jesus had to endure? The answer to this question will confirm why prayer is so vitally important. The answer was everyday, He had to surrender His Will and His Freedom to God. Are we willing to let go of our greatest idol, our will and our freedom in exchange for Jesus. We will never experience true freedom in Jesus until we completely surrender and trust in Jesus. We have to destroy the idol we keep hanging onto. It’s name is SELF. MY RIGHT. I AM ENTITLED, and the one we love even more, MY WILL BE DONE, not yours. This is why we must surrender in prayer everyday.

I responded…Jesus did surrender daily to the will of His Father. He never did anything He did not see His Father doing. When you think of how much Jesus actually did, that He saw His Father doing, it does make one wonder how much we are missing of the Father’s work around us.

HOW MUCH OF WHAT THE FATHER IS DOING ARE WE NOT SEEING?

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Overflowing

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My days are overflowing like the shoes in my shoe trays
This last weekend I had a family gathering with cousins from my father’s side. Most of these folks I have not seen for over a decade.
Friday night our whole immediate clan went to the Murdock Farm for ice cream.

There are so many wonderful things going on, and my days are full! I am loving the season

THE SPEED OF THE DAYS

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Has anyone else noticed that time seems to be going faster and faster?

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Maybe it is just because I am getting older and so have less time on this side glory than I used to have but it just feels like there is less time for more things and I am saying “no” to more things than ever before.

Last week the Lillie VI family arrived at the Vicarage and began to settle in. I cancelled almost everything on my schedule before they got here thinking that the settling in was going to need most of my attention. I was right and I was wrong. It was good I had the time so that I could help ease my son and his family into life here in Massachusetts. Jetlag really effected my grandson’s sleep schedule.

And so my son and daughter-in-law’s sleep schedule was likewise effected. They muscled through and it got a little better everyday. Then I got sick with a bug my son brought back from The Philippnes. I ended up cancelling even the things I had kept in the schedule.

The week ended with a family party for my oldest granddaughter.

This week our schedules went back to normal.

My son had two job interviews and two job offers. My daughter-in-law’s social security card came in and today the Lillie VI family is beginning the search for an apartment.

My schedule of meetings has been completely full to make up for last week and Amanda’s schedule has blossomed as we approach the coming of fall and the restart of our children’s school programs (it is unbelievable to me that we are almost to the start of the new school year!).

I am filled with awe at how fast things seem to be moving. At the same time I have this sense that it needs to be this way. Something is coming and we must be prepared.

DO YOU FEEL IT IN THE AIR? THERE IS A CHANGE COMING!

I Am Bowser

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It was a week of celebrations in a season of celebrations at the Vicarage.

Of course the Lillie VI family came home. HUGE CELEBRATION AT THAT EVENT!

Not only that though, this week marked my oldest granddaughter’s fifth birthday. That I have a five year old granddaughter is beyond astounding to me. That I have all my children and grandchildren within five minutes of where I live makes me unbelievably blessed. I will revel in it for however long I have the privilege of it.

Daniella decided she wanted a Princess Peach birthday party. She of course got to be Princess Peach.

Her sister got to be “Mickey Hero”…. I do not know who that is, but Abigail seems to have taken on the role with serious gusto.

We had a great party with all the royal attendants in attendance.

And I even got to play a role in the weekend….By royal edict of Princess Daniella Peach and Mickey Hero Abigail I was dubbed Sir Bowser The Monster Villain!

HOW MANY FAINTED?

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I walked in from church yesterday shouting my customary greeting, “I’m home!”

Apparently my holler was a little weak because Mom said, “You sound tired.”

She had it right.

I said, “I preached real hard today, Mom.”

“Was it a good sermon?” She asked.

“Well, I think so…”

“How many people fainted?” Mom asked.

“Fainted? No one fainted?” I returned.

“Then it wasn’t a good sermon.” Mom concluded.

Of course….I should have known that.

I Need To Deadhead

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I need to deadhead the Lilys in the gardens. It is an easy job.

Sometimes, I get overwhelmed by the scores of easy jobs that seem to exist in my world.

Do you ever get overwhelmed not by the difficulty of the work but by the sheer amount of easy work there is to do?

The Ones Who Carry the Song

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The kids and grandkids came over last evening. We took a walk to the playground with the kids and while the girls were sliding and climbing my daughter Melanie and I had a conversation about singing. I can’t sing like I used to. I am out of singing shape and my voice doesn’t obey me as it once did.

There was a time when I sang for a living. The congregation expected me to carry its song, and my bosses (the lead pastors) were expected to carry the vision. The song serves the vision and in a perfect world breathes life into the vision so the people are inspired to follow the vision’s path. I guess that is a little heady, but it is a good metaphorical explanation about the place of worship in a church congregation.

I am no longer the worship leader. I am the lead pastor. I now carry the vision and the song is carried by others.

Jody Clapp, our lead worship director and a deacon in the church

Melanie Franklin one of our worship leaders

Patrick Cortiss one of our worship leaders and an assistant at the Worship Room.

Jon Bauver one of our worship leaders and the director of the Worship Room. I am glad for those God has commissioned to carry the song now.