Pastor Paul's August 16 Newsletter Article

Pastor Paul’s Letter to the Church at Weatherford

You didn’t know this, but I’ve been known to abuse ink. In fact, every pastor is an ink junkie. Have you ever seen an empty bookshelf in the Pastor’s Study? Haven’t there always been more books at the parsonage? Yes, we’re all hooked on the fresh smell of ink and paper. The younger ones among us hide it better with eBooks, but they still go to the Library or a bookstore occasionally just to get that “smell of ink” fix.

Right now I’m getting some books I’ve been lacking for a while. There are some prayer books I’ve missed out on that I picked up. I also got the books for the Confirmation Class, even though I do hate that half of the copies are on back order. I even received the books for the Advent Study I’ll be teaching when the temperature makes us long for the days we’re cursing now... at 40% off thank you very much!

Currently I’m reading “Peaceful Neighbor, Discovering the Countercultural Mister Rogers” by Michael G. Long. His basic premise is that just because “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” was targeted at 3 and 4-year old’s, doesn’t mean it’s as deep as a puddle. The show’s pace is slow. The tone is soothing. But that may be all that’s benign in the neighborhood.

Fred Rogers’ is a Presbyterian Minister and it informed everything he did. One of his professors at Western Theological Seminary (Now Pittsburgh Theological Seminary) was Dr. William Orr. Orr taught him the most basic tenet of the faith that “Jesus reveals the character of God. Not altogether unconventional in his theology, Rogers believed Jesus is the second person in the Holy Trinity, the one who reveals the innermost character of God the creator. But far from conventional, Rogers also held that God, as revealed by Jesus, affirms exactly what the advocate embodies (and the accuser rejects); that every human is good, valuable and lovable.” (page 30)

I must admit, this is not at the core of most theological understandings of sin. Luther and Calvin emphasized the sin of humanity. Reinhold Niebuhr emphasized the sin of the society and structures humans develop. But while saying every human is good, valuable, and lovable, Rogers isn’t saying people misbehave, people act badly, even cruelly.

Instead he often said, “There’s a good guy and a bad guy in all of us.” One of his songs went like this, “the very same people who are good sometimes / are the very same people who are bad sometimes.”

Jesus teaches us to inherit eternal life we must, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27) Mr. Rogers wants us to take that a step further. He knows that not only do we treat one another badly sometimes; we treat ourselves badly too. He wants us to love our neighbor as we love God. God already loves us no matter what.

Let’s face it, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood never seemed very realistic to adults. This is probably one reason why. Nobody loves anybody like they love God… but wouldn’t it be nice to live in that neighborhood? There’s one place to start…

See you in church, Paul

Pastor Paul's Letter to the Church at Weatherford, August 9th

Here is my newsletter article from August 9th, I pray you find it enlightening and amusing.

Pastor Paul’s Letter to the Church at Weatherford

Have you ever been told you had a bad idea? I mean a really bad idea, the kind of idea that, in the words of George Carlin, will “rot your mind, curve your spine, and lose the war for the allies?” I say “Fear not!” Admittedly I can’t offer this with the promises of Christ, but I offer it as a follower of Christ.

Recently I have disliked my Facebook feed because of the political content, but this picture has made it worthwhile. I don’t know where it originated. Several fellow pastors posted it. And it is worthy.

Don’t you agree? If “Sharknado” isn’t a dumb idea, then nothing is.

We have to remember this, not every suggestion is right for every time and place. If a bride and groom were to sit down with me and ask when it’s appropriate to send in the clowns I would consider that improper for a worship service. For a Spring Festival, that would be different. Clowns would make better sense… unless you believe there is no good time for clowns in which case… yada, yada, yada.

Some ask why we are sending out cards to people on the prayer list. It’s because a member of the congregation asked why we aren’t doing something like sending cards to people on the prayer list. “We pray for them, let’s let them know they are in our prayers and on our hearts.” I said “let’s do it!” So we are.

So, is there something on your heart? It could well be the Holy Spirit gnawing at you to get something started in the congregation or the community. Come to me, come to a board member and remember, there are no dumb ideas, there are only Sharknadoes waiting to happen.

See you in church, Pastor Paul

Pastor Paul's Newsletter Article for August 1

The name I have given my newsletter article may seem a little cutesy, or maybe offensive, but then again, that is one of the lessons that can be taken from this newsletter article. The fact that what is "evangelistic" to some or "cute" to me is offensive to others. Either way, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

Paul’s Letter to the Church at Weatherford...

Dear Friends in Christ,

Have you ever seen something that you thought was in such bad taste, so offensive that you want to shake your head and run? If not, check out this artwork from a revival held here in Weatherford a month or so ago. There was song. There were talks. There was even a raffle where they gave away a new hunting rifle with scope, yes a “Rifle Raffle.”

I have nothing against hunting but I’m not a hunter. I love venison sausage! I have a friend who makes a good venison chili. This is a hunter who uses every bit of the animals he harvests. The animals he takes give their lives for the man’s family and the families of the people who receives gifts of meat and hide.

The opposite of this is the man who buys a ticket to a far off land, buys the services of a Sherpa or safari leader, and is taken where animals gather to create the illusion of a hunt. You’ve seen the pictures, uber rich guys over a leopard or some such animal. Even worse are places like bird farms that lure birds for “hunters” to shoot. These birds are often funneled into small areas to make it even easier for hunters.

One takes life to sustain life, the other hunts for the power and vanity of taking a life. And that’s the difference, isn’t it? Christ came and gave his life to sustain life. The gospels tell us, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

Still, there’s something about the visual of the “Cross in the Cross-Hairs” that makes me uncomfortable.

Yet, the image of Christ giving his life, voluntarily upon the cross, is the image we have. Christ gave his life not so we can survive, but so we can thrive living in relationship with God and with one another. That image should be disturbing too, but we’re used to it. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to “Rifle Raffle.”

God bless, see you in church--Paul