SNOW PLOWS

Ten days ago we had a powerful snow storm that dumped 14 inches of snow on Landisville and forced us to cancel a Sunday morning service for the first time since I have been here as pastor. By mid Saturday morning hardly a person was on the road and Saturday night they even took the snowplows off the road for a few hours to allow the drivers to rest while the storm abated. Some time in the wee hours of Sunday morning they went to work removing the snow and ice in an attempt to return the roads to a semblance of safety so that people could get their lives back to normal.

Have you ever had a storm in your life that pretty much left you buried? So much has accumulated that a major effort is needed to clean things away, so you can unbury yourself and get on with your life? Whenever a major snow storm hits I start shoveling before it's over because I know that when the accumulation reaches a certain level, I will never dig out under my own strength. This snowstorm I was blessed by my thoughtful neighbor Jim who ran his snowblower in my driveway Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, and even one more time later. Even then, the shoveling I had to do to keep his work from being in vain was about all I could handle. Left to my own strength and energy, I probably wouldn't have been able to get out of my driveway until sometime in the middle of the next week.

God never intended us to handle our lives alone. He gives us the blessing of the body of Christ (other flesh and blood people) to help deal with the storms of life. But God also gives us His supernatural power because sometimes you need more than a snow shovel or a snow blower--but something big like a snow plow.

Most of the time we handle our small storms with a modicum of success (or so we think)--but it is comforting to know that we have a God with all the power necessary to rescue us and help us get a fresh start.

GETTING UNSTUCK

“Humble yourself before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” -James 4.10

My grandson Jake has just celebrated his second Christmas. I couldn’t be with him this year, so I couldn’t share in the excitement and wonderment of his celebration. But the time I have spent with him (he leaves in Kentucky, over 500 miles away), I am always in awe with the joy he has as he discovers the world around him and makes new steps in his life.

Those of us who have been around a lot longer sometimes lose that sense of adventure and expectation. Over the years our lives have accumulated a lot of baggage (both emotional and physical) that seems to define us and dictate our direction. We have a “past” that makes us cautious or pessimistic about our future. Or some of us have simply gotten “stuck” and we don’t know how to move forward. Things like old hurts that won’t go away, pride-filled reams that still do not satisfy, conflicts that hang around unresolved—but are reaching the boiling point, a sense of loneliness that leaves us overwhelmed have us bogged down and weighed down.

It’s a far cry from the promise of God for our lives, “I have come to give you life to the full.” Too much is leaking away and we no longer believe things will change. That’s where we need a dose of God’s life transforming power. No another self-help plan, a better skill set, more knowledge—but letting God take control of our lives and then working in cooperation with Him.

Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” That means we have humbled ourselves and finally let God into our lives to work in and through us. Are you “stuck?” Make it your New Year’s resolution to let God take His proper place at the core of your being, cooperating with Him as He unleashes His transforming power.

© 2009 by Stephen L. Dunn

SNOW DAY

"He makes me lie down by still waters. He restores my soul." - Psalm 23

The first major snow storm of the season arrived early Saturday morning. If the wind had been a factor in the midst of this weather event, we would have called it "The Blizzard of 2009" in Lancaster County. As such it was about a foot of snow that began arriving in earnest around 6 a.m. and continued throughout the day. Just a lightly falling snow as it got dark but it blanketed the landscape with an unblemished white covering.

This "happening" made my wife Dianne's day. She loves the warm, coziness of cocooning at home with no need to leave the house or do anything useful. It's a day to just relax, make a cup of hot cocoa,ignore your "to do" list, and be pleasantly non-social. For a day she (and the rest of us) can suspend our daily grind and relentless stresses and just "be" instead of "doing." I spent four quiet hours in my office, uninterrupted and unhurried, as I finished preparations for Sunday and doing some semi-useful puttering and reorganizing. I enjoyed a little football and basketball and a couple of unplanned naps. For a pastor who has been compared to the Energizer Bunny, it was a nice and refreshing change of pace.

Sometimes we just need to "time out", an impromptu sabbath, a time to slow down and catch our breath. Snow storms and snow days give the obsessive compulsive and workaholics among us a justification for something we really need--a time to lie down by still waters--and let God refresh us.

(C) 2009 by Stephen L Dunn

BIBLES, IPODS, CELL PHONES

"Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." - Luke 5.16

Recently in our church we had to begin asking people to turn off their cell phones and stop texting during worship. Those cell phones are everywhere, and for some are a vital, necessary communication tool. (Persons who are "on call" are simply asked to set their phones on vibrate and to step from the sanctuary before answering and talking). The text feature is often a distraction for the worshiper (and those worshiping nearby), the distraction being multiplied when the text recipient is also in the sanctuary? ("Is this sermon boring or what?")

In worship, this technology can actually be a hindrance to worship. Technology has a wonderful way of keeping us connected: but sometimes we need to be disconnected. Worship is one of those times when we need to focus on God. Our technology keeps stealing our focus if we are not careful and disciplined.

But technology, when dedicated to sharing the Gospel and connecting people to Christ and His Church, can be a tremendous asset. ("I AM PRAYING 4 U") We can add Bible study apps to our iphones. We can pass along You Tube Videos that illustrate the Gospel message. We can call people or text them with invitations to be a part of what God is doing. We can connect with people far away or less accessible to remind them that they are a part of the body of Christ. Web cams and computers have been one of the most precious assets to connect missionaries, for example, in "real time" to their prayer partners and supporters. Powerpoint and video has added a powerful visual dimension to preaching and worship. Cell phones allow pastors not to be tied to their offices, freeing them to be out in the community ministering.

Like everything else in Creation, when it is dedicated to God's Purposes, it can be not only good but can bring glory to God. Just make sure your technology is not your master, but that it is dedicated to Your Master.

ANGELS AND SHEPHERDS

"Do not be afraid! I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you: he is Christ the Lord." - Luke 2;10-11

Shepherds living out in the fields with their flocks.
A cold winter night, struggling to stay awake and vigilant.
Men looked down upon by many because they were,
after all, field hands of sorts.
Living under the thumb of Roman oppression.
Backwater Bethlehem.
Smelly sheep, stubborn sheep, stupid sheep.

An angel of the Lord appears. Trust me, not the kind of angel portrayed in this picture. A forceful, awesome figure above them in the night sky, surrounded by the overwhelming, blinding light of God's great glory.

"They were terrified."

And the angel of the Lord, mindful of this heavenly intrusion into their small, troubled, sin-darkened world began by reminding them that ehy had nothing to fear.
The od of all the universe was about to concentrate the fullness of His love into the person of a baby. God Who could have devastated the shepherds and the whole planet in His judgement, had chosen mercy over judgment.

And that was very good news.

(C) 2009 by Stephen L Dunn

APPEARANCES

“The Lord does not look at the thing man looks at.Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” - 1 Samuel 12:16

I was traveling down Harrisburg Pike, returning home after an appointment at the eye doctor’s office. A sporty little grey compact was head of me, moving very slowly—at least ten miles under the speed limit. I was a little bit impatient, but I knew I dare not be too impatient. It was right through the part of Landisville that tends to be heavily patrolled. Any act of vehicular discourtesy would probably earn me a ticket. Yet the car, which also left stop lights at the acceleration level of the tortoises on the Verizon commercials, seemed oblivious to its pace and the consternation of the drivers following it (by now I am being followed by several others.) As I got nearer the car I saw it was being driven by a little old lady who seemed barely able to see over the steering wheel. In fact, I believe she was staring through the steering wheel to see the road ahead.

Then I saw her license plates “ FOXY GRMA”. I confess, my sinful nature thought, “Boy is that wishful thinking!” The Holy Spirit immediately rebuked my rudeness. The best I can say is neither the car nor the stature nor the speed of driving made me think of foxy anything. But then I don’t know the attitude, personality, or the spirit of that driver at all. Appearances are a poor tool for making serious judgments.

Samuel was sent to anoint David as king of Israel. Essentially still a boy. Not kingly in his appearance or stature like his older brothers like Eliab. Not a seasoned military man. Just a ruddy-faced shepherd boy at the bottom of the family tree. But God knew David’s heart. It was a heart like His, and that was going to be David’s qualifications to be king.

A baby born in a manger would later become a nondescript looking carpenter from Nazareth. Isaiah 53 predicted that nothing in his appearance would commend much more than pity. Yet He was rhe Lamb of God Who would take away the sins of the world. Beware of judging by outward measures.

© 2009 by Stephen Dunn

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

One of the core values at the church where I am lead pastor is the importance of people using their spiritual gifts to serve Christ and the church. The Bible teaches that there are from 19-21 different gifts, divine empowerments by God which allow us to serve effectively along with other members of Christ's body to do the work of Jesus.

That's why Christianity can never be considered a spectator sport. It is not a matter of some doing the work and the rest cheering them on or writing checks to support their efforts. In fact, where some Christians chose to sit on the sidelines, the church is hampered and hindered. If your gift is intercession (prayer) and you (1) do not embrace the gift and (2) do not use the gift; the church loses a vital tool in the spiritual warfare in which it must engage in order to bring people into God's Kingdom. If your gift is giving and you ignore God's gifting, the church lacks both the resources and the modeling needed to help finance God's Kingdom work. The list goes on and on.

But when we ignore or resist God's spiritual gifting, we also suffer personally. Ephesians 4 tells us that part of God's plan is for us to become skilled servants "working within the church, until we're moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God's Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive alive like Christ." Ephesians 4:15b-16, The Message translation

CELEBRATIONS

A few days ago Dianne and I unexpectedly joined a celebration. We were taking a brief vacation to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. No special agenda, just a quiet getaway together before the hectic intensity of Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas. Thanks to some nice gifts for Pastor Appreciation Sunday, we booked an inexpensive room (read "off season rates") at the Hampton Inn at Woodstock, Virginia. Only 180 miles from home in the midst of some magnificent mountains and ripe with Civil War history (I am a Stonewall Jackson fan and Dianne thrives on museums.) Hampton Inns have often been the place to which we retreat--great service, comfortable rooms, an early breakfast (for early rising Steve).

The Hampton Inn at Woodstock proved to be a brand new hotel, and its staff was especially sharp, friendly, and helpful. That night we discovered that the next night was the hotel's official grand opening. (In fact, we met the owner, a Lancaster County native named Lefever--who invited us personally). Great food, lots of people, horse and buggy rides. The guests included people from the community, the families of the employees and owner, contractors. A festive evening. Even though we were peripheral to the celebation, we were warmly welcomed and enjoyed a memorable time.

We are less than 2 weeks from Thanksgiving, a civil holiday in the US; and Christmas, a Christian holiday that has been embraced by the culture as a time of good will and good works. Dianne and I, like many of you, will be a part of those celebrations, too. Yet because we are Christians, we will not be peripheral participants--especially to the Christmas celebration. For Christmas is the celebration of the greatest news that anyone on Planet Earth ever received. That God in His grace had come in the flesh to redeem His people from their sin. In just the right time, when we were powerless (and clueless), God acted out of the richness of His love to end the separation of sin that left His people lost and without hope.

Others will celebrate Christmas for their reasons. We can neither control that nor condemn that. We just need to celebrate Christmas for Christ's reasons, for we are the people of Christ.

FINGER PAINTS

Do you remember finger paints?

Those bright, bold, beautiful colors that just screamed out "Smear me all over everything!" Many a child, with innocent and reckless abandon simply plunged in and the next thing you knew - painted walls or maybe even "painted playmates."

Teachers and parents quickly attempted to set some boundaries, corraling youthful creativity and passion before home remodeling became a necessity. Or they would watch them like hawks, wiping away any errant smudge that found its way onto faces or clothes before the child was permanently marked by their artistic enthusiasm.

Often, the children had an eye for colors (and their combination) that seemed alien to the adult mind--a first indication of a generation gap. And for many a child, finishing the picture was not as important as the process of painting. Most finger paint efforts were works in progress. But they also had an idea when the work was complete and now ready to go on exhibit in that Louvre of Finger Painting--the kitchen refrigerator.

Finger paints were better than crayons--because they were not used to "color within the lines." Finger paints defied such conventions. Finger paints were instruments of pure expression. A first attempt to be who God had created us to be--unique, gifted, eager to leave an impression on the world.

New Christians are like children with finger paints. They have a newfound discovery and a newfound resource. Boundaries are not as important as expression. They introduce an element of freshness and unpredictability that often brings bright new "colors" to the church. Although they need to be discipled, we need to always be careful that we don't crush the simple enthusiasm and passion that they have for their newfound faith.

And maybe we would be benefited if we let them paint on the walls or any on the faces of believers who have grown dull and dim in the predictable passing of years.

SILENCE IS GOLDEN

I am often up at a very early hour. Whether I am at home or at work or even at a hotel or retreat center-one thing tends to be true. It is very quiet. So quiet that at times you can hear traffic on an interstate many miles away. Or leaves rustling against the wind. Or maybe the building creak a little.

The Tremeloes once famously sang "Silence is golden." But do we treasure silence. Many immediately break the silence by turning on their favorite radio station. (I tend to turn on Sports Center on the TV.) Others fill the air with praise and worship tapes. But to paraphrase Simon and Garfunkle, "The sounds of silence are sometimes lost in the sounds (noise) that comfort us."

In many ways silence really is a godly friend, if you don't bury it in sounds. It is not without accident that David writes in Psalm 46.10, "Be still and know that I am God."

Without times of silence, our lives have no real reflection--we have no awareness of what really is around us--we have no active listening that allows us to hear God and know God.

Don't see silence as an enemy and don't despise silence with so much background noise. God does his best speaking when we are silent enough to listen.

(C) by Stephen L. Dunn. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

THRIVING IN CHRIST

It is raining this morning. A cold rain that gives a chill to the fall morning. It's rained a lot lately and some of us are growing weary of it. It's keeping us from getting that last cut of the grass or complicating raking our leaves that are dropping rapidly. It interferes with golf plans and makes fall football Friday nights very unpleasant. It adds a dampness to the cool air that plants a chill in our bones.

Yet rain is water, good old H20. It is one of God's sources of life and necessary to fruitfulness. Without water, we would ultimately wither and die. The Psalmist David speaks of this connection in Psalm 1. He talks about people who are blessed, who literally thrive at all times because they are closely connected to God.

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." - Psalm 1:3

Most of us do not thrive because we are not planted close to Christ. We keep him at a distance. Although he is the river of life with its life-giving waters, we are more like trees planted in a desert depending on a rare rainfall or a dependable irrigation system ... both of which are pretty "iffy" for true survival, let alone to the thrive and bear fruit.

You can neither live nor thrive without the living water of Christ. Plant yourself close to Him.

(C) 2009 by Stephen L. Dunn. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

MORNING HOPE

Reading: Psalm 5:3

Last Sunday I was returning from breakfast to the church. It was balmy morning. When I had driven to the restaurant it was still dark and the trip was made difficult by a thick, low-hanging fog. The sun was up on that return journey. The fog was still present but the sunlight had begun to pierce it. But the horizon above that ground fog revealed a magnificent sunrise. Al-though it was an October Sunday morning, it made me think of an Easter morning.

Easter morning is always a powerful reminder of the hope that God brings—hope often clouded over by our everyday sin—but hope that is present nonetheless. The reminder of that hope is revealed in the Empty Tomb at dawn.

That Sunday morning my thoughts went to the words of David, “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice: in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” Morning is the time to set our mind on God and surrender our lives to His guidance and care. Morning is the time to remember the hope in which we live—and then begin living that day in that hope.
The devotional is published on behalf of the Church of God of Landisville and its friends. © 2009 by Stephen L Dunn. All rights reserved. Email subscription matters should be sent to www.coglandisville@ coglandisville.org. Direct communication with Steve to sdunnpastor@coglandisville.org. You can subscribe by blog by registering as a follower at www.drstevesdevotional.blogspot.com.

NEVER ABANDONED

Church Street is the main north-south thoroughfare through my community. I travel it in one direction or another several times a day. Parked alongside Church Street in a no-parking zone, just off the edge of the street, is a gray minivan. A plastic bag is stuck through its front window, a universal sign of a disabled vehicle (as opposed to a scofflaw parking in a no parking zone). The minivan has now remained unmoved for well over a week.

Ironically, it is a commercial van. The sign on its side says “Macro Inc.-Catastrophy Response Services.” ( I did a double-take the first time I saw it.) Either they had a catastrophe to respond to that has prevented them from returning, or they need catastrophic services themselves. Right now their abandoned vehicle doesn’t provide good advertising.

As I write this devotional, someone has just called to tell me that they are really up against a lot of pressure. They feel like they’re being overwhelmed and requested prayer (which I did
Immediately over the phone). Overwhelmed they may feel, but not abandoned—not as long as they have some praying for them and God watching over them.

The apostle Paul knew this experience, but out his experience comes a powerful truth.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing
power comes from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on
every side, not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted,
but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

God works in and through our lives, even in the toughest circumstances. He is working to reveal His gift of abundant and eternal life – and that is perhaps most evident, when we knocked down or off the road of life.

This email devotional is published on behalf of the Church of God of Landisville and its friends. © 2009 by Stephen L Dunn. All rights reserved. Email subscription matters should be sent to www.coglandisville@ coglandisville.org. Direct communication with Steve to sdunnpastor@coglandisville.org.

PASTOR STEVE AND JESUS

This painting, entitled "Love", is the work of Richard and Frances Hook. It has hung in every office that I have occupied since 1975. It is a powerful image of Christ that I have been drawn to since the very first time I saw it.

A number of years ago I took it from its perch on my office wall into the sanctuary to use it as an objective lesson for my children's sermon. I wanted to talk to the children about how God loves children and to the adults (who are always listening to a children's sermon) about the simple trust that characterizes the faith of a child.

Attempting to engage the children in a dialogue, I held up the painting and asked, "Who is this a picture of?" Five year old, blond-haired Lailah raised her hand knowingly. Her answer, "It's Pastor Steve and Jesus." I started to correct her and then was struck with the discernment of her words. It is exactly who it is. I am a child of God and the foundation of my life is the knowledge that Jesus loves me. The essence of my faith is that I face the world (now at age 58) with the assurance that I am secure in the arms of Christ Who gave His life for me. I trust Him because I have no doubt--God loves me.

The verse that comes to my mind is this--paraphrasing John 17, "He has loved us from the foundation of the world."

HUMILITY

"Humble yourself in the eyes of the Lord, and in due time He will lift you up."
- 1 Peter 5:6

One of my favorite shows, AMERICA'S GOT TALENT, had its finale last night. There were five finalists: Voices of Glory, The Texas Tenors, Recycled Percussion, Barbara Padilla, and Kevin Skinner. Voices of Glory were a family of three African American kids who got their start singing for a seriously ill mother who was in a coma. Their voices and love brought healing to their mom, who was present that night. The Texas Tenors were three brothers who got together less than a year ago and began singing in part to honor their father. Recycled Percussion were bunch of crazies from a small town in New Hampshire--and they repeatedly shared the message, "Kids of America, you should not let small beginnings stop you from following your dreams." Barbara Padilla was a mother who survived cancer, went back to get her Masters degree in music, and sang out of a heart of faith to encourage other cancer survivors to never give up. Kevin Skinner was an out-of-work chicken catcher (you heard me right)who used his down time to sing and to spend time with his family, who were always a centerpiece in his life.

What impressed me was not simply the talent--incredible talent ... Barbara was a classical opera singer who will soon travel the world ... Kevin was a country singer whose voice astounded us with its heart and clarity ... what impressed me was the humility of each of these finalists. They didn't start out polished. A dream moved them but not a greedy ambition. They were supportive of one another. They were grateful for their opportunity. But most of all, they exhibited an incredible humility that never seemed to leave them. The two ultimate finalists - Barbara and Kevin seemed genuinely stunned by their success, and were filled with tears of joy.
No fist pumps, high fives, not a touch of arrogance. HUMILITY.

In a world of self-promotion, self-serving manipulation, celebrity arrogance, hard core drive for success ... genuine humility is both refreshing and itself a powerful lesson.

By the way, country won out over classics. Kevin Skinner was the winner of a contest that originally had 110,000 contestants.

This devotional is published on behalf of the Church of God of Landisville and its friends. (C) 2009 by Stephen Dunn. All rights reserved. www.coglandisville.org

THERE IS JOY IN JESUS

"There is Joy in Jesus"
Reading: Philippians 4.2-11

Why is this man laughing?

Because he's Jesus. He is Jesus the Joy-Bringer.

Ironically, His joy comes from sacrifice--from serving. His joy comes from investing His life in giving others a new life. His joy is rooted in an unconditional love that surrenders temporary happiness for ultimate significance.

Where does YOUR joy come from?

HE'S LOSING IT !

Psalm 78

Last Sunday I preached a sermon called "Working Smarter." It's core illustration was the story from last week's devotional about my adventure in plumbing. I spoke in detail about the scriptural understanding of working smarter found in Colossians.

The sermon was well-received by some but sparked a little controversy or concern in others. "Didn't he just use that story in another sermon recently?" was the comment my associate, Pastor Barry heard in his Sunday School Class. Similar comments were expressed in other quarters. But the gist of it was "is he losing it?" Losing it professionally, as in getting a little careless in sermon prep or losing it mentally, as in the early onset of senility.

The humor in all of this was that I had not previously it used in a sermon. (Pastors do repeat illustrations when they preach in one congregation over a long period of time. That is generally intentional, because some illustrations should be repeated for effect--or because there is a new generation who has not heard that story that is now in the audience. I have three, a moose story and a flower bed story and one about a lady named Emma that even get requested.) No, in this case, I had simply used it with a smaller audience -- my devotional subscription list -- as I was preparing to preach to the much larger audience which would be my Sunday morning congregation.

It is nice to know my stories are remembered.

Stories, we know, are part of the way God reveals Himself ... stories intended to be repeated over and over from audience to audience and generation to generation.

"O my people, hear my teachings; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old ... We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord ..."

This devotional is published on behalf of the Church of God of Landisville and its friends (C) 2009 by Stephen Dunn.All rights reserved.

WORKING SMARTER

"Whatever you do in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord ...." - Colossians 3:17

I am not always the most efficient worker. Sometimes it takes me twice as long to get something done as I think it should. Many years ago I decided to replace the faucet in our kitchen sink. It had been leaking, much to Dianne's annoyance. It didn't annoy all that much--but when she told me we were wasting money--that motivated me. As a homeowner with little money, I thought, "Go to Sears, buy a faucet, and put it in." So off to Sears I went.

The salesman assured me it would be a simple task. It would take me maybe 30-45 minutes to accomplish. Since I am not much of a handyman, I decided to wait until I had nothing better to do. So one night around nine o'clock I decided to tackle it. First problem, I had to find the wrench needed (I had everything else I needed in the kit.) Once that was located, I started to take off the old faucet, only to find that this required me to get under the sink to do so.

There I found that the depth of our sink did not accommodate my short-handled wrench. I needed a long-handled one. Since I did not own one I went next door to my neighbor's house. Dick WAS a handy man and he had almost every tool imaginable. He had the needed tool. By now I had easily killed the salesman's "30-45 minutes."

Dick followed me home. There I discovered that no amount of effort with new tool would budge the old faucet. "Let's just take the whole sink out," suggested Dick (now we were past the first hour of this project.) That made sense, so we started -- only to discover that the sink was anchored into the cabinetry. Whoever had put the sink in must have feared earthquakes or just had too much time on his hands. He had anchored it in MORE THAN 30 PLACES. Now we had to remove drawers, wedge ourselves into many small place (and did I tell you? Go in search of NEW TOOLS).

Finally, after three hours--we got the sink out, the old faucet removed, the new one replaced and the sink back in place (this time with perhaps a dozen anchor points). Guess what?

You guessed it--the new faucet leaked, as well.

After that I determined that you can work or you can work smarter. There is little satisfaction in work that requires a lot of effort and produces minimal results. And there's no merit in working faster if the job still isn't done right. It's not about the work--it's about the results.

Jesus reminds us that the best results for our work come when we work according to His purposes, following His plans,and doing it to help people honor Him. In the end that is the work that will be effective and whose results will be lasting.

TEN POUNDS

"Ten Pounds" (Romans 7.24)

Somewhere in the last three weeks I have lost ten pounds and I’m not going looking for it. Seriously, I have managed to lose ten pounds. I am not entirely sure why. I’ve watched my diet a little bit more than usual and cut down on portions—but that’s about it. I can’t credit five rounds of golf in two weeks because I rode a car most of the time.

Losing weight is a difficult thing for a diabetic to do—even though we are encouraged to do our best. The primary problem is that diabetic medicines have the effect of “putting weight on” despite good diet and proper exercise. The very medicine that protects you from the ravages of blood sugar seems to attract unwanted pounds.

The apostle Paul reminds us that our battle against sin is an uphill one—because the things we ought not to do, we still find ourselves tempted to do; because our flesh wars against our spirit. Yet we do not give up or give in. We do our best to serve God, but the best thing we can do is depend upon God in His power and grace to help us overcome that sin. Growing discouraged about the battle or fixated on what is yet to be accomplished is never helpful. Fixing our eyes on Jesus and living by His power is what ultimately helps.

This email devotional is published on behalf of the Church of God of Landisville and its friends. © 2009 by Stephen L. Dunn. All rights reserved. Subscribe or unsubscribe by emailing Patty at coglandisville@coglandisville.org. You can also find this on-line at www.drstevesdevotional@blogspot.com

EXPERTS

I am one of my denomination's experts on evangelism and reaching emerging generations with the Gospel. That isn't something I simply declared myself to be. It's something I have studied, done research on, tested, kept up with the literature, and written about.
My expertise does not come naturally, it is learned. It is motivated not by a desire to profit or prove anything. It is motivated by my passion for seeing new generations discover the truth of God's grace and transforming power. It is my desire for each new generation to have a relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

Expertise is not always the product of success, but it IS the product of experience. We often learn the most from our mistakes, rather than our victories. Expertise does not come from talking and proclaiming facts. It is preceded by careful and open-minded listening--particularly listening to those from the area that you are studying.

Expertise requires a certain amount of humility--because godly expertise is rooted in wisdom and discernment, both gifts of the Holy Spirit. It also requires the humility to admit that sometimes you have gotten it wrong, and you need to start over again listening and learning.

Experts live by Paul's admonition to young Timothy, "Study to show yourself approved unto a God, a workman not ashamed--rightly dividing the truth."

JESUS LOVES THE CHILDREN

"It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin." _ Luke 17.2

This is my friend Irv Steele. He is taking time out to hold a little Navajo baby. We both were working on the Rez at Tsaile AZ helping with Vacation Bible School. I love this picture because she is the picture of vulnerability. He is the image of tenderness. This may be one of my fondest memories from this mission trip.

Recently I worked in our Youth Camp where I met some kids with a great burden. They were part of the foster care system. Most of them had entered the system because of parents who were abusive, addicted, or who had simply abandoned them. Many of them had been further traumatized because of foster families who had taken them in for all the wrong reasons. One boy, who thought his family wanted him, had just been sent to another home because the wife was expecting and now that they would have children of their own--they didn't need him any more.

And daily I see kids in our own community who are troubled, searching, struggling because of parents who make no attempt to give them attention and boundaries, or who are so excessively discipling that they are crushing these kids' spirits.

Jesus was very, very clear -- a young life entrusted into our care -- is a life that belongs to Him. It is a life He created and would go to the Cross to redeem. It is a life he watches over, desiring that child to be safe and to be able to follow His leading into being a mature part of His kingdom. It is a life for which we as adults will be held accountable.

Our personal ambitions, our jobs, our hobbies, our choices will not be excuses for allowing them to stumble, for discouraging their walk with Him, for not experiencing the full measure of God's love.

* This devotional is published on behalf of the Church of God of Landisville and its friends. (C) 2009 by Stephen L. Dunn. All rights reserved.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the Good News ..." Luke 4:18

For those of you who have never traveled to Landisville, Pennsylvania--this is my desk at the church. A planner and a computer, along with my NIV study Bible make up the key tools of my trade as a pastor. Periodically, the telephone, more likely a cell phone. As long as I have these things near at hand I can do at least 50-60% of my work as a pastor. When one of these tools is missing, my work gets more complicated.

It's interesting that the Apostle Paul ministered for decades and had almost incomparable impact on the lives of so much of the world without a single one of these tools. Yes, before you correct me, he had the scriptures--most of which he carried around in his head. His scrolls would have been drenched with the first shipwreck.

His tools were not inferior to mine nor were they superior. They were simply the tools available to and appropriate for the times he was ministering in. I strongly suspect if he had a lap top, he'd have used it. if he could have downloaded the Torah and the Prophets to an I-Pod, he would have jumped at the chance.

What makes both of our sets of tools effective is not the technology or the convenience, it is the Presence. By that I mean, the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit of God, the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Tools are man-made and always have a limit to their usefulness. But tools used by a man filled with God's Spirit take on a supernatural force. A memory, empowered by the Spirit--whether embedded in a human brain or in gigabytes of a machine--can be used to change lives as they connect people with the life-transforming Word of God.

So here's the question of the day--are the tools of your trade plugged into the Spirit?

This devotional is published on behalf of the Church of God of Landisville and its friends. (C) 2009 by Stephen L. Dunn. All rights reserved.

ICE CREAM AND OTHER SIMPLE PLEASURES

This is a picture I'm thinking of keeping in my wallet along side pictures of my wife Dianne and my grandchildren. Ice cream. Scrumptuous, laden with sugar -- a pleasure to behold and an even greater pleasure to devour. For many people, ice cream is the ultimate comfort food. And as I learned on a recent mission trip to the Southwest, the way to earn the undying appreciation of your fellow missionaries.

I have other simple pleasures -- a baseball game on a cool summer evening; driving with the windows down listening to oldies from the 60's on the radio; a 30 foot putt from the fringe that drops in the hole; an anonymous act of kindness; hearing someone repeat an idea I taught them as if it were their very own; a smile and a warm embrace from my wife Dianne.

We live in a high performance, success-worshiping, driven world. I am learning that all this really does is cause you to jump through hoops to receive affirmation that is soon forgotten, all the while you are being driven to any early grave. It's taken me 58 years to get to this point -- but I think I am finally getting it.

That's why Paul's words have become so important to me. "Godliness with contentment is great gain." Living a life simply and confidently as God's man. Cultivating the humility and servant lifestyle of Jesus Christ. Finding my true self and my highest calling in simply living for Him.

This devotional is published on behalf of the Church of God of Landisville and its friends. (C) 2009 by Stephen L. Dunn. All rights reserved. Subscribe by email by contacting coglandisville@coglandisville.org or simply register on this blog as a follower.

I AM TRULY BLESSED

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:33

Have you ever found yourself obsessing about your needs? There are bills to pay, issues to be dealt with, things needing repaired, boundaries to be re-established, financial and emotional margin to be restored? This has been a tough 2-3 months for me personally. Uncle Sam told me I owed him more money, more than I really had ready access to. Two car repairs that went over $3000 total. We were in the time of the year where we must provide the initial cash for our annual medical deductible.

On top of it, I was just plain busy. The church had just come through a very intense and emotional time of reassessing its priorities and making hard decisions so we could be more faithful to our vision. My counseling load soared and my emotional energy diminished. My putting game totally deserted me, making my one pleasant past-time less pleasant.

Those are times we stop seeking his kingdom and starting seeking a safe place into which to retreat. Personal concerns can rob us of our focus on God's Big Picture. We come to see each day as filled with problems to be solved (knowing they are not going to resolved very well) instead of opportunities to be the blessing God has blessed us to be.

But in the last 3-4 weeks, God has grabbed my attention. He gave me some awesome times at youth camp helping kids get their lives back on track. He sent some faithful prayer partners who lifted me before the throne of grace. He filled my heart and mind with several sermons (that I needed as much as anyone) on "Surviving Tough Times--Developing a Tough Faith." He provided a gift that helped with one of my most frustrating financial concerns. And yesterday, he sent into my office, a new person in our church who I have been mentoring who simply said, "You do not know how much of a blessing you have been to me, and to others here."

When we let God have our attention, when we seek first his kingdom and its righteous--God goes to work to cover the other bases for us.

This email devotional is published on behalf of the Church of God of Landisville and its friends. (C) 2009 by Stephen Dunn. All rights reserved. You can subscribe to this by email by contacting Patty at coglandisville@coglandisville.org.

CLASSIC CAR

"Earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints." - Jude 3

I love classic cars. There is something fascinating about these road warriors. There was a time they owned the road--providing transportation to grandmas, gangsters, doctors making house calls, families taking a Sunday drive, salesmen trying to ply their wares. They have a uniqueness and an elegance that stands out in the box-like family vehicles, the monster trucks and sporty SUVs, and the lookalike family cars occupying the road today. Some of them were short-lived in popularity. They bore names that today have little meaning - but they are really neat.

Unfortunately today, you have to be very careful with these cars. Their "age" and uniqueness put them at great risk on the high-speed highways of today. You even have to ration the amount of road miles because their parts are no longer being produced.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is very ancient. It has a beauty in its original form that makes it even more precious today with the trendy and sometimes indistinguishable religious imitators.

Fortunately, the gospel wears well on today's highways in today's world. It is not fragile, needing protection. It is robust, needing faithfulness. The gospel is not intended to be kept in a warehouse as a remnant of other times. It is intended to engage the world where the rubber meets the road.

A classic car may have been built well, but only a few people have the means and opportunity to drive it. The gospel today is for everyone--it is durable for eternity.

This devotional is published on behalf of the Church of God of Landisville and its friends (C) by Stephen L Dunn All rights reserved.

2010

One of my roles as Lead Pastor is to be the "big picture person." This means I have to look at the whole church and its mission, not just parts of it. I need to be the person who reminds each part that they are part of a whole body and help them fit together in a unified way.

It also involves me in long range and advanced planning--sometimes the first into a particular territory because people need me to scout and map the terrain. That's why I found myself in early June working on the overall worship plan for 2009-2010.

2010! I still find myself thinking of 2008 at times! But Bill Stine, our Choir Director uses his summer to prepare for the church's program year. For him to do his job effectively, he needs the big picture in worship from me. So this AM I completed the Worship Planner for 2009-2010.

We need to have advance planning to strategically place ourselves to do the work in a fast-changing and ever-changing world. But we must always do it with a certain sense of humility. James, the brother of our Lord wrote: "Now listen, you who say,'Tomorrow we will go this or to that city, spend a year there, carry on business, make money. Why, you don't even know what will happen tomorrow ... Instead, you ought to say, If is the Lord's will, we will do this or that." (James 4:1a-14, 15a)

All of our planning and all of our plans must carry the obedient flexiblity that keeps they in concert with God's will for us.

McDONALDS AT 6:00 AM PLUS

Steve,
Your devotional story is familiar to many. I have often thought of ‘why doesn’t that person get a job?’ Maybe they are in desperate circumstances or lazy, or whatever. I, like you, have come to realize that it is not our job to judge, but we must be vigilant and not suckered.

A quick story: One night I pulled into the gas station across from McD’s on Centerville Road @ Rt 30. I noticed a fairly old, dilapidated (that is a kinder word) auto sitting at the pumps. There were some kids in the back seat, maybe three or four. There was a lady in the front. When I was pumping gas the man of the group came over to me and asked if I could ‘loan’ him $5 so that they could get fuel to make their way back to home in New Jersey. Well, as I often am, very reluctant and then I thought that $5.00 of gas would not get him but about 100 miles or so, at best! I ended up giving him $10 which he promptly put to use on purchasing fuel. He came over to me and asked for my mailing address. I really became suspicious at that time about giving my address to a stranger, but I did. I left and completely forgot about the incident. One day a crumpled envelope appeared in our mail box. Lo and behold when I opened it there was a $10 folded up in a rather tattered piece of paper which had a genuine ‘thank you’ note attached.

God is good all the time despite my feeble attempts at playing Christian.

Tom Shea

McDONALDS - 6:00 AM

"McDonalds-6:00 am"
Reading: Matthew 25

Dianne and I took a three day vacation last week to Baltimore and the Inner Harbor. We got a great hotel deal, so we stayed down town--handy to Camden Yards, where the Tigers were playing the Orioles and handy to Inner Harbor, a great gathering of shops, museums and other interesting sights. We parked our car and walked everywhere.

Typically Dianne and I are on two different sleep schedules. I am generally asleep by 10 and up around four. She is asleep by midnight or later and up 4-5 hours after I have risen. I try to stay in hotels that have complimentary breakfasts so I can eat around 5.30 or 6.00 and then have a "second" breakfast around 9.00 or 9.30 when she is ready.

This hotel did not accomodate me. And on Saturday, the restaurant didn't even open until seven. Fortunately, McDonalds is open at 6.00. But as in many major American cities, a tourist will share the streets with the homeless and other street people. When I arrived at McDonalds, a beggar persistently got my attention (I couldn't get in the door without talking to him.) "Sir, can get a hot meal?" I really didn't want to argue, so I said, "I'll bring something out."

Inside, one of the men in line said to me, "He does this every morning. He really can go to work but he prefers to beg for a meal. I have enough savvy to know that's always a possibility, but since I had given my word, took him breakfast as I left to return to the hotel.

Was he taking advantage of me? Maybe. But I really have no way of knowing what his day was going to be like. A friend once said that the only way not to be taken advantage of is to never help. As I gave him the meal, he said, "Sir you have done a good deed for the day." I didn't respond--didn't feel the need to.

Jesus says a good deed, a cup of cold water in his name is always a good thing. We are doing it to Jesus. So even if the street guy was taking advantage of me, Jesus was pleased I am sure because I had simply followed his command and values.

This devotional is published on behalf of the Church of God of landisville and its friends.
(C) 2009 by Stephen Dunn. All rights reserved.

DEARLY BELOVED

"Dearly Beloved"
Reading: Colossians 3.13

I had a very unique experience a couple of weeks ago. I performed a wedding ceremony at the Tuesday night rehearsal of our Worship Band. Carl, our drummer, married Carol; his second marriage, her first. What was unique was not the location or surroundings, it was the reason. They have a formal ceremony and reception planned for June--the big event and its party. But before that time arrives, Carol's lease ran out. It was not possible to move back to her parents' home--but Carol and Carl did not want to move in together before the wedding. They did not consider it appropriate to their Christian faith to "live together" for 7-8 weeks before their marriage was consecrated.

As a pastor, I need to tell you that this is indeed a unique attitude. Many people live together these days, sometimes years before getting married. I know some pastors who require them to move out before and until the ceremony occurs. I have always considered this a legalistic charade that really honors no one, just as I believe "living together" is not as committed as saying "I do" before God and the witnesses. I'm just glad when couples decide to make the commitment real and get married--finally!

A marriage is a sacred covenant. It is a covenant between a man and a woman made before God. It is a covenant with God as well. A covenant says as much about the covenant-maker as the one who receives the blessings of that covenant. A Christian marriage is a "setting apart" of two people for the purpose of making a new family--a one flesh relationship where the love of God is manifested in a special way. A relationship that should take on the character of the One Who first loved us and Whose love makes the marriage relationship possible. In a morally confused world, a marriage that is committed to reflecting the character of Christ can bring great praise to God. But the heart of a Christian marriage is rooted in what you believe about God and the sacredness of your relationship with Him.

Somehow saying that nothing about our relationship with God should reflect badly on God is indeed a unique attitude. Whether married or single, our actions, our decisions, do reflect upon God if we are known as God's people.

This devotional is published on behalf of the Church of God of Landisville and its friends. (C) 2009 by Stephen L Dunn. All rights reserved.

TORNADO ALLEY

Tornado Alley
Reading: Philippians 4.6-7

Last night there were more than 23 tornadoes in the Midwest. For many years I Iived in the area of that region known as Tornado Alley. It was a place where those monster storms could come roaring through the night capricously reaping destruction. A house would be gone here, a row of trees there, a car dumped four streets over; and a dog house left untouched and unmoved. When the summer days were hot and a cold front started arriving, you began to watch the skies for thunderstorms rolling in. A storm front could easily carry those ominous funnel clouds that would drop to earth in a heartbeat to start a path of destruction.

The irony, however, was that people living in Tornado Alley did not live in fear nor were they preoccupied with the possibility of sudden disaster. By and large you simply went about your daily business in normal ways even in storm season. Anxiety would only make life unbearable. It would drive you to the storm cellars instead of the fields where there was work to be done. Yes, you were alert and yes, you made provisions for a quick trip to shelter when conditions became threatening; but you went about life with confidence and contentment.

The Bible warns us that an anxious spirit is a destructive one. Philippians 4 tells us, "Be anxious about nothing." This is not a Pollyannish naivete. It is a confidence in God's providence and protection and provision. "But in everything with thanksgiving, present your requests you to God, and the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

A healthy Christian is not anxious. A mature Christian approaches all situations placing their trust in God. This does not mean we are not concerned or careful, but we do not let worry define our lives. We have Jesus Christ.

This devotional is published on behalf of the Church of God of Landisville and its friends (C) 2009 by Stephen L Dunn. All rights reserved

MISCARRIAGE

"Miscarriage"
Reading: Isaiah 61.1-3

"...to comfort those who mourn, and provide for those who grieve ...
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness
instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of despair."

Last Tuesday my baby lost a baby. My youngest daughter Katie was four month's pregnant. She and Jason were happily anticipating the birth of their first child. But the doctors told her Tuesday that a miscarriage had occurred.

"Miscarried" is an interesting and disturbing word. It is intended to soften the reality that a life has ended prematurely. A life that a mother and father have partnered with God to create. A life that already has reality in the womb. A life to which the parents, especially the mother, are already connected.

It doesn't really soften the pain. The immediate impact is sometimes devastating, in fact.
Time will tell how it will affect Katie and Jason. My prayer is that it will draw them closer to one another and to God. My oldest daughter Christi also suffered a miscarriage in her first pregnancy. My son-in-law Tim consoled her with a blessed response, "God knew something was wrong and decided to take care of it now." Whether his answer eased her pain, I don't know but his words were true. After Christi's recovery they started over and my grandson Jake is now over a year old. His presence has now become a light of God's love for their lives.

A miscarriage is one of those terrible valleys of shadow of death David described to us. He never said such places were not painful, heart-wrenching--but he reminded us that we are never alone when we must walk that path. God walks even more closely with us when we must take uncertain steps in those shadowy valleys. And any grief we experience, He will comfort and remove--replacing it with His joy.

LIVING WITHIN THE SEASON

"How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?"

- Mark 2:19

A wedding is a time for celebration, not grievng. It is a time for great rejoicing, not disciplined self-examination. Life is filled with times and seasons. They arrive, stay for a while, and end. Each season has its perspective and its purpose. We do best when we embrace those seasons and live within them gladly instead of longing for the next to arrive. Each season has its particular outcome or fruitfulness depending upon that purpose. When we refuse to live within the character of a season. We miss much of what it has to offer.

Fourteen months ago I found myself in the midst of a vacation, a period of time longer than is generally available to me (or than I permit myself to take). I found that I had to "work" to stay within the vacation mode because of the workaholic that resides deep within me. The only thing I brought from work were some professional books I had long wanted to read and my day planner. I only opened the latter to record a note or thought, so that I could release it--and I resisted using it for any long-range purposes. By the discipline of staying "within the season" I felt free to sit on the beach with my wife drinking in the sun; experiencing the adventure of exploring new surroundings, and even testing my meager photographic skills. I simply enjoyed the detachment and abandonment of being on vacation. When I returned to a season of work--it was without weariness or dread.

What season do you find yourself in? Embrace it and see what God will do in your life throught it.

This devotional is published on behalf of the Church or God of Landisville and its friends.

(C) 2009 by Stephen L. Dunn. All rights reserved. To subscribe by regular email feed, send a email to http://www.coglandisville.org/ with the word SUBSCRIBE. You can also register as a FOLLOWER on this blog.

This particular devotional is also being posted on a second blog LIFE MATTERS which can be accessed at http://www.yourlifematterstogod.blogspot.com/.

YOU'E NOT THE BOSS OF ME !

"You're Not the Boss of Me"
Reading: Exodus 20:3

"No other gods, only me." The Message translation

Many years ago I encountered this person for the first time. He was a six-year old neighbor kid. He was making a general pest of himself in the neighborhood. Particularly troublesome was that he was bilingual--cursing was his second language. When I told him to watch his mouth, he stiffened in defiance and said pointedly, "You're not the boss of me!"

I have met this same person over and over in my 58 years of life. In a self-centered teenager at youth camp who did not want to be quiet during "quiet time.' In a husband who I confronted about his abuse of his wife. In a deacon who wanted to make the church walk his financial line. In an ordination candidate who wanted the church to approve him even though his doctrine was at variance with the Body. In a woman who wanted to keep her lover even though it meant trashing her marriage. In each case I was the spokesperson for authority--sometimes the duly appointed spokesperson for the Lord and His church. In each case it did not matter to this person. "You're not the boss of me."

Human beings have always wanted to be the boss of themselves. And they have sometimes foolishly exercised their freedom to be the boss. That was essentially the first sin in the Garden--Adam and Eve's desire to be their own boss by eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, so they could be like God.

But there is only one Lord of the Universe, and we are not Him. And when we try to claim His job, we only reap trouble. We may experience the momentary satisfaction of doing what we want when we want, but the ultimate consequence is that we lose our lives in the slavery of sin. We may want to be the boss of ourselves, but without God's leadership, sin becomes our Master.

This devotional is published on behalf of the Church of God of Landisville and its friends.
(C) 2009 by Stephen L. Dunn. All rights reserved. You can subscribe by email by sending a message to Patty at coglandisville@coglandisville.org or signing on as a follower of this blog.

PURPOSEFUL EXTRAVAGANCE

"Purposeful Extravagance"
Reading: Matthew 26 6-16

Jesus was in the final week of his life, heading with purposeful determination to the Cross. It was Tuesday night and he was in Bethany. Earlier that day he had told the disciples quite clearly that he was going to die. Despite the spiritual adrenalin of Palm Sunday, it was going to end badly (from the disciples' perspective). Now they're at the home of Simon the Leper, a Pharisee, we think--who had been healed from a dread disease. Simon lived in Bethany--the same home to Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

The disciples were not in a good mood, especially Lazarus. The disappointment they felt was magnified by having to go to dinner at Simon's. Then the air was filled with a powerful perfume. Following their noses they saw Mary--foolish, irresponsible Mary--washing Jesus feet and drying them with her hair. Their indignation rose and finally Judas said, "What a waste! We could have taken this perfume and sold and given the money for the poor."

Jesus is not amused or rebuked. "Mary has had more faith and vision than all of you put together. She gets it. She knows that I must die and that will be the best thing for all you.
The poor you will always have, but I will do this one time and it will be over. When the whole story is told, Mary will be remembered and honored."

The disciples were really angry at Jesus. They didn't "get it" or they didn't want to. They wanted discipleship without sacrifice (what Bonhoeffer called "cheap grace.") And that's problem with Jesus--he is too extravagant. He calls us to take risks, to take up a cross, to embrace sacrificial servanthood --- and we just think of it as wasteful. But here's the takeaway from the story. Stop identifying with Judas and the disciples. Identify with Mary.

Purposeful extravagance is never wasteful. It is a testimony.

This devotional is published on behalf of the Church of God of Landisville and its friends. (C) 2009 by Stephen L. Dunn. All rights reserved. To subscribe use the "friends" link of this blog or email coglandisville@coglandisville.org.

RESPONSE TO DEVOTIONAL

Hey Dr. Steve , how's things going? Funny...this devotional comes a day after a very strong message the Holy Spirit had me to preach in our church that somewhat parallels the crisis factor you mention in your devotional. This is a very good devotional and truly does pose a big challenge to every Pastor far and wide. Thanks for issuing the challenge, and Dr. Steve, to answer the last question of this devotional, Am I living in the power of Christ? My response would be a much emphatic yes. I absolutely would have it no other way. Thank you for checking in via this email devotional. I know I'm finished with your class, but your continued feeding will always be welcomed and embraced. Blessings to you and your ministry.

Craiger

From Steve: Craig is one of my PTI students who subscribes to this devotional via email. We reprint this with his permission.

FALLING APART

"Falling Apart"
Reading: Proverbs 24:10

"If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn't much to you
in the first place." - Proverbs 24:10 The Message

A whole lot of the art of pastoring involves learning how to triage. You remember triage. It's what BJ and Hawkeye, Charles Emerson Winchester, and Colonel Potter did on M.A.S.H. People would be choppered in from the battlefield or hauled in by an Army green school bus fitted with cots. They would be wounded and even dying, and the job of the MASH unit was to do what they could first to keep them alive, and then perform surgery to initially repair what was threatening them with death. That MASH unit always seemed a little bit like medical chaos instead of thoughtful, precise medicine.

In a fallen world, people are a lot more in crisis than they let on. They often put off getting help until the bleeding has become critical. Then they call out for help, usually in a panic. Then they call their pastor. In my experience, they also often call all at once. No orderly consultations with their pastor with the luxury of helping settle one person's problem before the next one presents themselves. When the flood starts the waiting room is filled, and you just have to do what you have to do.

This is when a pastor, or any person committed to serious people-helping learns what they are made of. In crisis, you learn whether or not you can handle crisis. And how you handle crisis determines how the person having the crisis handles it ... and whether or not they will survive.

A pastor, or any people helper, prepares for those days by choosing to build their life upon Christ. To live all their days guided by Him and empowered by Him--whether in times of crisis or just quiet ordinary times. And you learn whether Christ is really in them when you see how they work in crisis.

Crisis times WILL come. Are you living in the power of Christ?

This devotional is published on behalf of the Church of God of Landisville and its friends. (C) 2009 by Stephen Dunn. All rights reserved. Reprint rights can be secured by contacting Steve at sdunnpastor@coglandisville.org

You can subscribe by contacting coglandisville@coglandisville.org or by registering as a FOLLOWER on this blog.