Random Thoughts Around the Christmas Season

The Bethesda Center - The Bethesda Center is a Winston-Salem homeless shelter. Our Seeds (the name of our small Monday night worship group) folks went to the shelter a couple of weeks ago take refreshments and to lead a short devotional period. We had about 40 men and a few women join us. It was a wonderful evening. A couple of the guests sang spontaneous solos. Prayer requests were for family and friends, none for self, except for one request for a job. No one seemed to feel sorry for themselves. Instead, the room was filled with the Holy Spirit, with men who know and love God, with men who want to know God, and with all of us who want God to draw closer to us. I hope to have my Sunday school class do an evening there soon. The Love Feast - The Focus Sunday school class has hosted a Love Feast at church for many years now. It used to be held in the classroom. It was moved to a bigger room several years ago and for the past two or three years has been held in the fellowship hall. A week ago, on a very messy-weather Sunday, almost 100 celebrated together. The Love Feast is held during the Sunday school hour, between our 3 church services. It is one of the few times of the year that folks who attend the different services not only worship together, they fellowship together afterward. It is a Christmas blessing to see (and hug) those friends you don't see so very often. Worship services - My pastor, Terry Matthews, presented a really good sermon this morning. I wonder, is he getting better, am I getting more receptive, or is God directing my thoughts in a such a way that I hear the message that He has for me through Terry? Music is also a very important part of my worship experience. The music at every Sunday's service leaves me feeling blessed for attending. On Monday, Katie's soft voice and guitar open my mind and heart. Gifts for my Navajo friends - I wanted to get presents for my friends on the Navajo reservation at Four Corners Native American Ministry. When I realized that wasn't going to happen, I wanted to send Christmas cards to each of them. I couldn't seem to find the time to do personal cards, so I went to plan "C". Plan "C" stands for cyber-gifts. I tried to think of 3 or 4 gifts for each friend, gifts that they would appreciate, but would not or could not get for themselves. I sent them word of the gifts I would have bought, if possible, via email. I had a lot of fun doing that. So much fun that I'm thinking of doing it for even more friends next year. I have to admit that the thought of cyber-gifts wasn't original. Sara and I were watching one of the many Christmas feel-good movies in which members of a poor family were given clippings from a Sears catalog in place of the real thing. Doing this wouldn't help the economy very much, but it would certainly help my budget, let friends know that they are thought of, and be just plain fun picking things that fit . The Christmas Spirit - It seemed much easier to get into the Christmas spirit this year. Last year, I don't think it happened until Christmas eve. This year, weeks before Christmas, the spirit seemed to be there. More people smiled. More people were wishing "Merry Christmas!" More friends were being made. We had decided not to go into debt for presents and were holding to it. We were going to Lynchburg for Christmas at Ross & Danylle's house. I was working full-time and training for a part-time job as well. A Christmas to remember. The greatest gift of all - Ross and Danylle have bought a house in Lynchburg. Danylle's daughters are with them for week days and were there for Christmas. Maddie is 6 years old and Reese is 4 years old. I have been wondering what to ask them to call me as we draw closer. The problem is resolved and it was perhaps the greatest Christmas present I've ever received. As I got to the front door on Christmas eve, I was met by two beautiful girls who were yelling, "Grandpa, we're glad you're here!" How special - celebrating Christmas with two new granddaughters. God is good.

It's Just Not That Easy In A Telephone Booth

"Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird. It's a plane. No, it's Superman!" If you don't recognize that famous TV and movie line, you'll probably not know that in the years BC (before cells) there were lots of phone booths to be found many places. If you don't know about the Man of Steel, you might not have ever even seen a phone booth. Superman, cleverly disguised as Clark Kent, a mild mannered reporter for the Daily Planet, often found telephone booths handy for a quick change of clothes. You know, you just can't rip off your business suit and prepare to fly off in your tights right in public. That will blow your disguise completely. You have to find a place to change in hiding, therefore, the phone booth changing room and the maintenance of the clever disguise. Tuesday morning, I got up early and met my friend, Burnie Little, for coffee and conversation. Tuesday was a work day for me so being early wasn't much of a sacrifice. It was Burnie's day off though, so I really did appreciate his giving up some early morning sleeping hours. Readers of my blog know that I haven't been excessively happy lately. When I returned from the Navajo Reservation, I really wanted to go into full time religious service. That was my prayer. But it just doesn't seem to be God's plan. Although I was deeply disappointed at first, and am still disappointed, I am becoming more comfortable with whatever God's plan for me may be. That is some of what Burnie and I talked about early last Tuesday. My pet phrase has been, "full time service," as in church ministry or social outreach ministry or domestic / foreign missionary work, whatever, as long as it was full time service. Burnie shared an interesting take on this notion. He feels that all Christians are in full time service. We are all full time disciples of Christ cleverly disguised. Perhaps we are disguised as a physician's assistant. Perhaps we are cleverly disguised as a volunteer at Old Salem. Perhaps we are disguised as a thrift shop manager or a retired minister. Maybe our full time Christian disciple disguise today is as a friend with the right word of encouragement at the right time or an ear to listen. I, for one, have decided to disguise myself as a short, pudgy worker in a local office (this is not an easy disguise for someone 6' 6" tall with a 32" waist, but I am managing quite well, thank you.) Burnie made his point with me. Now I just need to try to live his philosophy. Oh, yes, it wouldn't hurt for me to know where the closest phone booth is either. I wouldn't normally do it this way, but I want to take blog space to say thank you to all those friends who have taken the time to be so supportive of me as I've struggled with some of my own demons. You've taken the time to speak to me, to write to me, to pray for me. I've heard from friends that I've not seen nor spoken with in months, if not years. You will never fully know how very grateful I am. I also have to share a real blessing with you. Today was my extended family's Christmas party. We had 31 people that I love very much there. Ages ranged from 2 to 88 years old. One of the great things is that no one left us this last year. My mother, who has been moving from extended care to the hospital and back for the past several months was there. My brother-in-law, Will, is great with her and managed to get her to agree to come out on a pretty messy day. I began the day knowing that I would be able to lead the blessing. This is something that comes hard for many of us, not because we don't pray, but because we love our family so very much that we get choked up from the blessing of reunion. Each new arrival at the site, every person hugged, brought tears of joy and thanksgiving to my eyes. By the time for the blessing, there was just no way for me to get through it. Once again, it was Will to the rescue. He sure is special! Bailey, Mary Lynn, Danylle, Cindy, Jason, Mindy, Patrick and Kim, Adam and Petty, you were all missed. My prayer is that you are all well and will all be able to join us next year. To quote Tiny Tim, who had also just finished a big meal with his family, "God bless us everyone!"