Being Blessed

There was a pastor who served a ministry for the mentally disabled. There was one particular woman named Kathy who would constantly run into this pastor every day. One day she stopped him and asked him for a blessing. He did the usual cross on the forehead and mumbled some words and as he did this she smacked his hand away. She said, "No! Not now, I want a blessing during worship tonight!" The pastor found this to be a little strange but said ok. He went on with his day not really sure how he would do this blessing during worship that night.

When it came time to worship he still didn't know what he was going to. Before worship began he called Kathy forward to give her a blessing infront of the congregation. She came forward with a big smile on her face and once she reached the pastor she wrapped her arms around him and placed her head on his shoulder. The pastor was completely shocked by this and really did not know what to do. By habit he too put his arms around her and embraced her. Then we whispered in her ear, "You are a child of God, his beloved, and with you he is well pleased."

After the blessing Kathy had a large smile on her face and returned to her seat. The pastor thought all went well and prepared to go on with worship when another man in the congregation raised his hand. The pastor called on him and the man said, "Could I have one of those blessings?" Of course the pastor said yes, so the man came forward, wrapped his arms around the pastor, placed his head on his shoulder and the pastor said, "You are a child of God, his beloved, and with you he is well pleased."


When the pastor finished this blessing he looked up to find a line had formed behind this man. Everyone wanted this blessing! The pastor continued blessing the congregation this way until each person that wanted one recieved it.
 
We all are blessed by so much, but how often do we stop and embrace the things or people that we are blessed by? How do we bless those people around us? Are you taking time to stop and bless those around you? Are you taking the time to stop and be blessed yourself?
 
This week I challenge you all to take note of your blessings and give thanks for them. See how you are a blessing to others around you and most importantly stop. Stop and allow another to bless you, whether it be someone doing something nice or even someone embracing you, placing your head on their shoulder and hearing these words, You are a child of God, his beloved, and with you he is well pleased."You are a child of God, his beloved, and with you he is well pleased."
 
You all are blessing to me, peace and love!

Bridge to Baptism

So in worship we've been talking a lot about baptism and sin, so I thought I've naturally been thinking a lot about baptism lately. Actually my mind has been focused on water a lot. Maybe because it rained all day yesterday, maybe because the weather on the weekends has been perfect and I've been spending a lot of time at Wekiva Island just sitting by the water, or maybe it's because I'm having this strange mid-winter yearning for a beach trip! But water seems to be surrounding my thoughts lately...

So baptism, many of us have done it, or been baptised. Many of us don't remember it though, but we know that it happened to us. So my question this week is what brings us to baptism? You might be thinking, "Well my parents did because I was a baby!" but that's not what I'm talking about. We all come face to face with our baptism every day and we have experiences that many would consider re-baptizing them. Experiences like powerful worship, babies being born, mission trips, etc. These things bring us new life, new energy, and a new perspective on our faith that is much like baptism. These types of things have the Holy Spirits finger prints all over them and pouring out on us as they happen.

So maybe the better question is, what is the bridge you walk across to refresh your faith and remember your baptism?

I consider myself lucky, in that, my career seems to be one bridge after another the forces me to relive my baptism. Retreats with students, meaningful worship, mission trips, serving students every single week, these things are like gushing waters pouring out on to me that bring me life and help me to remember the amazing gifts God has for me. But I wasn't always in youth ministry and this was not always the case. The original "big" bridge for me was a close friend, a church youth group, and a mission trip. After college I returned home to find a very good friend of mine leading the old youth group we were a part of. She pushed me to join her and be a part of the things she was doing. I did it hesitantly. After a year, I was growing but nothing to significant, I was probably only a few steps onto the metaphorical bridge. Then the opportunity of a mission trip came up. I was very hesitant as we had only a few months to plan this elaborate trip and none of us had done something like this before. But again my friend pushed me and continued to lead me across this bridge and the next thing I new I was in Philadelphia with 16 students doing all kinds of mission work, tired, stressed, and yet full of energy and excitement! The last night of the trip was the baptism moment. I had crossed the bridge and water was being poured over my head and the cross being made as our group sat on the back steps of the Lincoln Memorial crying, laughing, sharing, and hugging. The Holy Spirit poured out on all of us, new life reigned, and for a moment we were all clean. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget. The bridge was long, bumpy, and creaked a lot as i walked across it but sure enough, it led me to the water.

So what is your bridge in your life? We relive our baptisms every day. Sometimes its a big long bridge, other days its a short small one. But at the end we find that water waiting for us, giving us new life, new hope, and new energy. May you find your bridge often and recognize the waters of baptism pouring over you each and every day!

In His Image

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

~Genesis 1:27

What does God look like? Well he looks like you!...and me...and your best friend...and your mom and dad! It's right there in Genesis, one of the first things we read in the Bible, he created us in his image! We all have God in us whether we know it or not, or believe it or not. This is the way God created us.

I've always found this to be interesting insight because if we are all created in God's image and he resides in each of us that means when we interact with each other we interact with God. Okay, maybe it's not a direct interaction like pray is but we are still interacting with him because he is present spiritually and physically as we are in his image. Plus as I am writing this and realize I continue to use the pronoun "he" or "his" or "him" and realize that is not necessarily the correct pronoun. Because both man and woman were created in God's image so God could be either or. But I digress, if we are truly created in God's image and when we interact with another person and build a relationship with that person what does that mean in regards to our interaction with God. When we flick off that person that cut us off in traffic, are we flicking off God? When you yell at your mother or father is that yelling at God? When you hold the door for your girlfriend or boyfriend is that holding the door for God? I would argue a resounding YES!

So the question then becomes, how does this change your interaction with people? I think we all would agree that we wouldn't flick God off. We might get angry with him at times but he is still God. I think most people, if they were face to face with God, would treat him or her or whatever with respect, love, and honor. So what happens to your relationships and interactions with people when you stop looking at them as Joe Schmo and start seeing God in them? And maybe the more difficult question is, how do we see in God in every single person we meet, even the bully at school? What do you think about these questions?

So in this new year and new decade may our resolutions be about God and may we strive to see the good and love of God in each and every person we meet. May we treat everyone as we would treat God. May the image of God be so brilliant in you that others will shine too! Peace!