Dear Salvation Army, Is The Battle Mantra Dead?

“FIRE A VOLLEY”

I am not attempting to bash our dear old Army, but I wonder if our Battle Cries have become tired, old and in need of retirement?

Just as the military fatigues from around the world change, are we in need of some changes too? (and certainly changes have been made, and continue to be made)

I do not mean that we stop proclaiming our war against sin in our world.
I do not mean we halt our efforts in the streets, for these are vital, needed, and intrinsic to who we are…but what of our “Battle Mantras?”

“What do you mean?” You might be asking me.
Do you ever wonder about the “catch phrases” at large rallies and events…sometimes they are impromptu (which is fun to witness), while other times they appear forced and half-hearted. I wonder if there are times when our battle mantras sound more like an old zoo lion who has been put out to pasture…he roars every now and then, but years of comfort and “zoo care” has dulled his senses and made him more tame than he was ever created to be.

I wonder if we are like that old zoo lion sometimes in our old Army?
We know all the right mantras, we wave our flags at the appropriate times…someone grabs the old drum and beats it to the appropriate rhythms of the brass band…but what does it mean to us in the here and now? Have we become far too tame, and have we lost our missional edge in the process? Do these mantras still have the same purpose? Do they still serve a purpose? And if they do, how do we properly educate new generations?

There is little doubt that these mantras ought to be a side effect of a motivated and “on fire” army. So, perhaps a better question is – “Where is your fire?” In perfect “army speak” – What (or who) are you on fire for?

Personally, I do not think our army hinges on the mantras itself, instead it hinges on our passion to win souls for Christ! If our passion is gone, we have no purpose or motivation to “win the world for Jesus”. We can mumble whatever we want at rallies, we wave a thousand flags rapidly in the air…we can beat that old drum like it was dead horse – because without passion for Christ, and His Holy Presence to guide us – we will be a dead army drumming up the past in order to comfort us in the present.

So how about it?
What new songs of warfare do we have?
What new testimonies of transformed lives can we declare?
What street corner ravaged by sin and depravity can we claim for Christ this week?

We don’t need new mantras, instead we need to fall to our knees daily in order to be refilled with His Holy Presence and injected with His might and power. This war is still ongoing…and this Army doesn’t need the roar of zoo lions, instead we need the wild ferocity of Soldiers bravely claiming the streets in Jesus name.

Something more for our Army to ponder today.
To God be the glory!

Disclaimer: The views and opinions of the writer does not necessarily express the view and opinions of The Salvation Army.

January 25, 2016 0

Dear Salvationist, Let’s Talk About Sin…

It’s something that is often easier to discuss when it’s about other people, BUT if it’s about us, we can and probably will become uncomfortable and even indignant. “How dare you talk about sins especially while looking at me”, one might mutter.

It is easy to become offended when sin is mentioned in conjunction to us.
That’s for “those” people over there. (and we point our fingers in the hopes that we will be forgotten.)

Dare I say that just because we are Soldiers of the Salvation Army it doesn’t make us impervious to the lures and trappings of sin. In a very real sense, we become more susceptible to it. Do not, for a minute, assume that we will not face temptation as Salvationists (some of you are saying, “well duh”!) these temptations can lead to sin if we allow them even a small space to reside.

When it comes to temptation, we must be vigilant and aware of it at all times.
General William Booth once put it this way: “We are a salvation people – this is our speciality – getting saved and keeping saved, and then getting somebody else saved, and then getting saved ourselves more and more until full salvation on earth makes the heaven within, which is finally perfected by the full salvation without, on the other side of the river.”

Are “keeping saved”? To end do we protect ourselves from temptation?
I should clarify that temptation is not sin, these two things are connected, but one spurs the other on. It is not a sin to experience temptation…it only becomes sin when we give into temptation.

Sins Unrecognized…
A friend of ours recently mentioned a statement someone had posed to them in regards to sin and the Church (our Corps included). Their statement was this: “it’s the hidden sins of the people that cause this (turmoil) in the Church.” A further pondering from this friend issued a followup question and statement – “perhaps what makes this statement true are the sins we don’t even consider or recognize as sins in our lives.”

Could this be true? Do we have unrecognizable sins in our lives right now?
Within our hearts, are there sin still left to be dealt with?
Are we flat-out ignoring our sins instead of dealing with them?
Is it just easier to ignore them instead of dealing with them because that would take a tremendous amount of courage, effort and strength?

Furthermore, what do we consider to be “sin”?
and a follow up to that question is – “have we rationalized some things in our lives that are sins so that they no longer guilt us or cause us to fret over our souls?”

We Are Good Liars!
I would venture a guess that we are amazing liars sometimes.
No, I’m not calling you a liar to others, but we can be very, very good at lying to ourselves about sin. We might gossip about someone, and yet we chalk it up to casual “fellowship” or mere “conversations”. We might use our words to speak harshly towards others while failing to see how harmful those words have become. Some might even look over the fence at others “committing sin” while they themselves are living with someone they aren’t married to.

I don’t want to make some sort of arbitrary list here today on this pondering, but I would say that we must be very, very careful when pointing out the sins of others when we have sins roosting in our own lives. Jesus called those people hypocrites and actors…I don’t want to be labeled an actor or hypocrite…do you?

Sometimes I wonder how much damage we as Christians do to would be followers of Christ when we are so quick to point out sins in others…use your words with compassion and hope instead of judge and jury!

Perhaps I am again stepping on toes today…let me assure you none more than mine!
We are still in need of salvation daily!!
We are still under construction daily!!
We are still sinners who have been saved by grace…daily!!

Prayer:
Dear Lord, help me to recognize the hidden or forgotten sins in my life today.
But more than that, help me to confess them to you. Help me to work them out of my life, to embrace forgiveness and deliverance from even my worst of sins. You know my heart and my life – reveal to me that which still has yet to be confessed. Grant me your strength to make the necessary changes in my life, and in so doing, guide my life to be the very hands and feet of you in all that I say and do! In your name I pray.
-Amen.

I would like to know what you think about this topic.
Your thoughts, comments and questions are solicited and appreciated!

Something more for our Army world to ponder today!
To God be the glory!

Disclaimer: The writings and thoughts expressed by the writer are not necessarily the thoughts and opinions of The Salvation Army.

January 21, 2016 2

Dear Salvationists, The Mercy Seat

“The hope of the Army is in the penitent form. As soon as that goes out of use, we go out” (General Albert Orsborn)

We call it the Mercy Seat, others call it the Penitent Form, still others call it the Altar.
Why is it there?
What is it’s purpose?
Is it still valid and needed today?

Perhaps these are just a few questions that you’ve wondered about as you have participated in a Salvation Army service or meeting. Some have, perhaps, been soldiers for years and never quite understood why we do what we do when it comes time for the “altar call” or “time of response”.

Is this practice outdated or is it still useful?
What is the biblical understanding of the “mercy seat”?

I believe Major ViJay Boda puts it rather succinctly; ”

“The International Spiritual Life Commission affirmed to the whole Army world that the mercy seat in Salvation Army meetings symbolises God’s unremitting call to his people to meet with him. It is not only a place for repentance and forgiveness, but also a place for communion and commitment. The report emphasises, ‘Here we may experience a deep awareness of God’s abundant grace and claim his boundless salvation.’

Encouraging the use of the mercy seat, the commission says, ‘The mercy seat may be used by any one, at any time, and particularly in Army meetings when, in response to the proclaimed word, all are invited to share loving and humble communion with the Lord.”

This is a good explanation, and perhaps some of us are good at explaining this to new comers or new soldiers…but sometimes I think we need a refresher course. We need to break old patterns and old molds in order to better understand what we are doing at the Mercy Seat or why we have these moments of commitment at all.

Biblically speaking, the Mercy Seat is first mentioned in connection with the Ark of the Covenant. It is the “kapporet“, or the “atonement piece”. Later it was the ornate golden cover to the ark with two cherub corners. Imagine that, the “atonement piece” covers the opening to the very presence of God.

Symbolically speaking, Jesus became our once for all- atonement piece – our mercy seat. His blood makes us clean, and his provenient grace cancels our debts/sin. When we kneel at this place of repentance that we call the Altar, or Penitent Form, or Mercy Seat, we are essentially placing our sins on Christ. We lay them down, and in so doing, we are invited to pick up new clothes, a new life, this unmerited grace and forgiveness that Christ has prepared for us in His death and resurrection.

This Mercy Seat can be a sacred place.
We can kneel upon it in our corps buildings during Holiness meetings, we can find it at special events where seats have been turned around waiting for those willing to repent or seek reconciliation. These sacred spaces are not necessarily holy in and of themselves. They are just structures, constructed with human hands, but purposed for Divine encounters.

BUT WAIT…
The Mercy Seat is so much more than a specific place.
We, being the very essence and the body of Christ, now have access to this mercy seat anywhere at anytime and anyplace. No, it’s not some new application found on our cellular devices or on our computers. This Mercy Seat is never far from us, even when we find ourselves at home or bedridden with illness – it is there! This Mercy Seat is found in our hearts. When we receive Christ at a place of forgiveness and new life, such as the Altar, we also receive the blessing of His Holy Presence. The Holy Spirit takes up residence within us. Not in some sort of alien “body snatchers” way, but rather in a Creator meets and communes with Creation sort of way. With His presence comes the mercy seat of our hearts, where we can come at any time before Him to confess, commune and grow in Christ’s image.

Samuel Logan Brengle once said, “I have carried a penitent form (mercy seat) around in my heart half a century or more. And if there is ever any need, I constantly fly to thee.”

1 Mercy Seat – Many Uses (Not Just A Place For Sinners!!!)
Before I close this topic today, (honestly, this is a primer for further discussion), I would be remiss not to mentioned that the Mercy Seat is SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST A PLACE FOR SINNERS. It takes real courage sometimes to come before the ecclesia (body of believers – A.K.A. The Church) and kneel at the Altar. Sometimes many worry about what others might think or say (Shame on anyone who would say anything towards a brother or sister penitent before the Lord). Sometimes this erroneous thought that keeps on circulating spoken or unspoken – is that once one has gone to the Altar they shouldn’t have to go back anymore. Nothing could be further from the truth!!

If one of our more esteemed first theologians (Brengle) went to his Mercy Seat frequently, how much more do we still need it in our lives?

The Mercy Seat still beckons us to:
-Come and Reconnect with our Savior.
-Come and bring petitions and prayers as intercessors.
-Come and cast our prayers of thanksgivings to Him.
-Come and seek forgiveness again.
-Come and find reconciliation and re-ignition.
-Come and pour out those deeply secret spaces of our hearts before the Holy Spirit who has been prodding us to let Him in.
-Come to surrender, or surrender again.
-Come and bring your brother or sister who needs encouragement and assurance.
-Come and bring your brother or sister who needs a friend.
-Come and bring your brother or sister who desires new life and is sick of sin.

So is the Mercy Seat pointless in our modern, sophisticated age?
Yes, it’s as pointless as the Son of God stepping down out of heaven and taking our sins upon himself…if that is truly pointless – then so are our lives.

No, in fact the Mercy Seat is so much more than just a kneeling place for sinners or saints…it is the exhalation of sin and in the very same moment, the inhalation of salvation, new life and holiness. It ought to be perpetuated, preached on, and emphasized over and over again – with clarity, sincerity and truth.

For more reading on this topic check out another post: Is Your Mercy Seat Broken?

Something more for our Army world to ponder today.
To God be the glory!

January 19, 2016 8

Dear Salvationist, Why Rank Doesn’t Matter…

“One of the outstanding ironies of history is the utter disregard of ranks and titles in the final judgments men pass on each other. The final estimate of men shows that history cares not an iota for the rank or title a man has borne, or the office he has held, but only the quality of his deeds and the character of his mind and heart.” -Samuel Logan Brengle

I am not wishing to pick a fight – not my intention.
I am not shaking my fist at “the establishment” either.
But…I do think Brengle was right – when it’s all said and done your rank, your position in life, your amazing accomplishments mean absolutely nothing. It won’t matter if you were a General, a Major, a Colonel, a Captain, an Adherent (I am purposely putting this in a nonsensical order)…it will not matter at all. You could have been a Divisional Commander, or just an A/V sound booth guy on Sunday Mornings – it all won’t matter.

Why Rank Doesn’t Matter:
Because like this life…
like your current cellular phone…
like the computer you use at home or at work…
like the food in your refrigerator…
IT. IS. ALL. TEMPORARY.

What we do with these temporal things and titles, however, is what truly matters.
If we lord over others because someone has given us authority – then we are certainly unwise with these temporal things.
If we squander our time and our talents, we too are unwise with that temporal thing or gift.
If we are good stewards of what and where God has placed us, however, and we live for Him in and through all things – we are wisely using these temporal things.

What we do matters.
How we live matters.
Where God places us matter.
Our Attitudes, Pride, Humility, Love, Hate, Generosity or Greed – It all matters.

Dear Salvationist:
Just because you wear a uniform doesn’t necessarily mean you are God’s soldier. It boils down to your heart, and where you stand with your Savior.
Despite the facade, even the uniform (duh) will not save us.
Dare I say some become Officers or Soldiers because of the assumed power it provides them. It is simply a tool to misuse and abuse. I am confident that this is not the majority of us, but be mindful of the snakes and vipers sometimes posing as Soldiers (even in our Army). We still live in an imperfect world though now as Kingdom people we can bring hope to those seeking.

We all must be sober of thought and honest with God.
In other words “check yourself, before you wreck yourself”.
Rank and Power in our world will fade – they will mean nothing when we stand before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords…though, what we do with what we’ve been given WILL matter.

“Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the God of his salvation.…” Psalm 24:3-5

Should there be ranks and order in our Army? Of course…I’m not talking at all about anarchy…but what I am talking about is something deeply personal for all of us. Are our heart and motives clean? Are we living for God or are we living for ourselves? Is there work still needing to be done in our lives? Changes needing to be made in our attitudes and our hearts? This is an ongoing mission…with an ongoing need for personal holiness.
I am only scratching at an itch that begs to have the whole salve of the Holy Spirit upon it. Without Him we can do nothing.

When it’s all said and done, the heart of our mission and our purpose will be evaluated by the Most High. This isn’t said to scare us, but rather to provide us a reality check.

So…how are you doing?

Something more for our Army world to ponder today.
To God be the glory.

January 15, 2016 6

Dear Salvationist -Watch Your Mouth!

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” – Ephesians 4:29

The Holiness Movement is far from dead.
We, as Salvationists, have within our veins more than the figurative colors of red, yellow, blue…we have the image of Christ within our hearts. Not to say that other Christ-followers do not, or that we are better than anyone else, but this message, this pondering is primarily for Salvationists in our world today.

We face difficulties in our communities and in our culture which makes it hard to be truly set apart for God. The lure of many things comes knocking at our doors and begs us to participate, to comprise, to ignore this calling. Is it possible to look so much like the culture that our effectiveness in mission is compromised? Is there a line that begs and pleads alluringly to be crossed? What of our attitudes, our hearts, and our speech? Do these go hand in hand with our lifestyles, with our mission?

There isn’t a time clock that we punch when we accept this holy mission of Christ’s. We are either all in or not at all. We don’t wear the uniform to the corps but once it’s off at home we become someone else, with a different set of life rules. We are beckoned to “go into all the world…” We are asked to “take up our crosses” and follow Christ. If we are to imitate Him in every way (Ephesians 5:1), then this includes what we say.

Confession:
I can be cynical at times (That’s not a shock to some of you).
I always joke that I have the spiritual gift of sarcasm, but sometimes that sarcasm takes a very harmful turn. My speech isn’t always as it should be. Words can become barbs that are razor sharp that can cut to the heart of people faster than any blade could ever penetrate. I know this of myself. I make no excuse of this. Does that mean I wish to continue to the live my life in a verbal rut? Of course not!

Dear Salvationist
Do you have the deep desire to continue to grow in Christ?
Is there, within your heart, the Spirit’s pleading to become more than you are right now?
Are we settling for the verbal ruts, the bad habits, the inexcusable behavior? Do we make excuses and/or rationalize these away in order to make them more palatable and accepted? I can tell you truthfully that you will never really know peace within your heart as long as you continue to reside where the Holy Spirit does not want you to reside – in regards to ungodly habits and behaviors that are contrary to your covenant or promise to Him.

Like our tithe, like our commitments to God – if we continue to only give Him a portion, we will never be truly satisfied living within His will. What is God’s will for us? Read Micah 6:8 again “He has shown you, oh man what is good and what the Lord requires from you. To live justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Matthew 16:24 says, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

Watch Your Mouth!
Be mindful of your mission field.
Be aware of how ungodly speech corrupts your heart and those around you.
What kind of speech am I talking about? Not just profanity and course language, but (and more importantly) unkind words towards others, Gossip of any kind, malicious-hate fueled speech. Words that do not build up but instead destroy. Soldiers of this Army; more importantly Soldiers of God do not act this way…should not act this way! Watch your mouth…it can build souls and help them become more Christ-like, or it can burn the heart and fuel it into hatred towards God…that is how helpful or harmful your words can be.

Questions to Ponder Today:
How can I change my patterns of speech?
Do I recognize those moments when my words become barbs and are used as weapons?
What is the Holy Spirit instructing me to do within my actions and my use of speech?
What kinds of changes do I need to make right now?
Have I settled for where I am right now or am I willing to grow through the direction of the Holy Spirit?

Something more for our Army to ponder on today.
To God be the glory!

January 14, 2016 5

Dear Salvation Army, Short Changing Tithe?

This is a pondering that attempts to meddle – I’m sorry.
I was asked by one of our readers to do a pondering on this topic…it’s a good one. It is a rather relevant one too, isn’t it? If we were truly honest with ourselves (and no one else) – we might admit that there are times when we take our resources and our blessings for granted.

Individually
In a world, currently that is consumed with who will win the next Powerball lottery jackpot, we don’t often fathom what we already have to be a true blessing…because we crave more.

I do not mean to step on anyone’s toes today, any more than I am already stepping heavily upon my own – and this hurts. But I can confess that I have, at times, neglected to give the Lord the best…instead I’ve given Him what’s left. Why would we do such a thing? How could we neglect the Author of Life our first fruits? Life does happen. Bills sometimes pile up. Children, like vacuums, suck the dollars right out of your wallet. But are those just excuses sometimes? Am I just attempting to rationalize my spending or my haphazard, inconsistent giving? -Yes.

You might say that I’m being hard on myself…perhaps I am. But who ought to take responsibility for what we do or don’t do? Will anyone else take that blame from me? Is it someone else’s fault when I short change God with my tithes of time, talent and treasure? Of course not.

Corporately
I am not shifting blame, please don’t take it that way.
I wonder sometimes if, as leaders, we set the bar higher for others and yet that bar suddenly doesn’t apply to us? Does this happen? Are there times (in any organization and/or church) when leadership decides these are the guidelines for those under them, but those same guidelines do not apply to the administrators of those same guidelines? Do double standards apply to financial giving from Administration to Subordinates? Does this happen from IHQ/THQ/DHQ/Corps? I certainly hope not, this is not necessarily my experience.

Where does financial accountability play into this?
How important is it to be consistent from Administration all the way down to volunteer and soldier/adherent/attendee?

Let me give you my opinion on this subject – Accountability matters from the top down, and from the down to the top. We must be accountable with the big things, we must also be accountable with the small things regardless of rank or lack there of.

Back To You And Me
We can not, however, afford to look over the fence at anyone else other than ourselves when it comes to being good stewards of the things God has given to us to take care of. We are accountable first to God, then to those He has placed above us. What we do with our time, talent and treasure matters. How we spend any of that – matters. Who we are in and out of church or the office – matters. There isn’t a time clock that we sluggishly punch each day then get home and take off our masks to become someone else. We are His – that should be our identity.

Questions to Ponder:
I find it very interesting that other “churches” (and I know we’re not specifically a church) support the ministries they do through tithing…It is equally interesting that most Salvation Army corps cannot fully support the ministries they do in their communities, let alone World Services through tithing alone…is that a good thing or bad thing? Is it because many of our corps members do not have the financial resources to consistently tithe? (this could very well be the case)

Have I, or am I (on a personal level) short changing God in my tithing?
Am I building MY kingdom here with stuff, trophies of my accomplishments, hoarding my resources…is this who I am?
Are there areas of my life where self-denial is lacking?
Can I be honest with myself and with God when it comes to my tithing habits?
Are there other places in the world that could use my financial contributions?
Do I give consistently to World Services?
Do I give consistently to my Corps?
Do I care about poverty in my world? What can I do to help?
Do my contributions matter?
Am I giving enough? Is it Net or Gross Pay?

There is much to discover and ponder in this topic today…I hope the shoe prints on our toes fade…then again, maybe not.

Something more to for us to ponder today!

Disclaimer: The opinions and thoughts expressed in Pastorsponderings.org are the expressed opinions and thoughts of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Salvation Army.

January 13, 2016 8

Dear Salvation Army, The New Song Book

You know, as they say, “Out with the old, in with the new”…but a part of me is feeling a little melancholy about this one. I can still remember the old song book, now twice removed. It has been put to pasture years ago, but for a few still lingering upon shelves of Salvation Army libraries or others who feel sentimental like me. I remember how that book smelled. Its pages were crisp and contained many of the songs I grew up singing. Some of those songs are still intact, reprinted with a new paint job and a new format inside this new song book. (Phew that was a lot of “news“) Some of the old songs, will inevitably have to wait for another resurrection, until some of us sentimentals grow older and find we really do miss seeing those lyrics among the pages of a Salvo Book.

Nonetheless, I do like this new edition…it is growing on me. (Although, I realize that I too am not always amenable to change.)
The segregation of the chorus section is no more. Newer, more singable chorus are now included. The creators of this edition even took the time to incorporate scriptural referencing as well as thematic messages…it’s a Holiness meeting (and other meetings) preparer’s dream to have this new tool within these pages!

From a corps perspective, soldiers by and large, enjoy seeing this new song book among the pews. I wonder if most soldiers, adherents and attendees feel the same? I would be curious to know other people’s thoughts and first impressions of this new song book as it hits the pews around the world.

For Me:
It’s still growing on me. It’s going to take some time as I put my long goodbyes away for “old red” and begin to feel the inevitable present-tense of this new tool in songbook form.

There are other, more pressing issues to ponder about…but for just a moment I had to find time to ruminate on the passing of another song book, besides I’m going to miss seeing those red bound books in the pews…perhaps that’s just me.

What do you think of this change?
Is it good, bad, kind of the same? Tell us what YOU think.

Something more to ponder today.

Disclaimer:
The views of pastorsponderings.org are the writer’s thoughts and opinions and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts and opinions of The Salvation Army.

January 11, 2016 33

A Year In Review

It has been an amazing year for Pastorspondering.org and I cannot wait to see what is in store for 2016!

This past year, pastorsponderings has been viewed another 100,000 times…that’s simply mind boggling and humbling to believe! Wow, thank you, dear reader and follower of this blog. As always, I am committed to writing what matters from my perspective while engaging in your comments, questions and requests. We have truly done this together!

The 5 most viewed articles of 2015 are:

1. 5 Things They Don’t Prepare You For In Officer’s Training
2. Dear Salvation Army, Expressions Of An Officer At Christmas
3. 3 Things Officers Should Know About Their Soldiers
4. 3 Questions To Ask Before Becoming An Officer
5. 3 Things Soldiers Should Know About Their Corps Officer

Thank you again for reading pastorsponderings, and we look forward to much, much more in 2016! As always, if you have a topic that you would like discussed and/or been struggling with, please send me a message. Let’s join the conversation together!

December 29, 2015 0

The Gift Of Giving (Gary’s Story)

Perhaps you have stopped at a fast food restaurant and gone through the drive thru, or you have stopped at a toll booth only to discover someone has “paid it forward” as the clerk cheerfully tells you “The car ahead of you paid for yours”. It’s a surprising feeling isn’t it; experiencing someone else’s generosity? Perhaps for some of us, it’s a little humbling. For others it reinforces the need to give back.

The gift of giving truly is the meaning of Christmas.
We stop to recognize the ultimate gift that was given to humanity – Christ Jesus. Perhaps in some small way we can give back to our communities and to specific people. Giving isn’t always natural…sometimes it needs to be forced, sometimes we need a little convincing.

There is no need to convince Gary though, he has been giving to our Red Campaign this Christmas season in a manner of his time and talent. Gary has been bell ringing for The Salvation Army of Evansville for as much time as he can give this year. Some days, it is a whole day’s shift from 10 am in the morning, until it gets dark outside. He has been vigilant, dependable and a constant feature at one of our Walmart locations. Every evening when the red kettle driver picks up Gary’s bucket, you can rest assured it is a full bucket of much needed funds.

There is something else about Gary you should know, other than his generosity of time and talent. For those two vital assets alone are truly commendable and honorable. But there’s something more about Gary – something that would shake the very fabric of our lives and quake us to the core and make us evaluate everything that we hold dear and consider important in life – Gary has terminal Leukemia.

His doctors have given him roughly nine months to live. He could be doing anything with his precious time that he has left. He could be crossing off things on his bucket list, and perhaps he is. He could have gone home and wallowed in self-pity – no one would have blamed him. Yet, Gary is paying it forward in such a way that lives will be touched and changed. Gary is so much more than just a bell ringer at yet another red kettle campaign. Gary is giving more than just another few hours at a random kettle location. Gary is giving of himself. This is his gift. This is his moment to shine.

I wonder if we’re all capable of giving as Gary is giving today?
I wonder if we could simply give without terms or conditions, and just give of ourselves regardless of the circumstances of our lives? I recognize that life isn’t always perfect, I’m also pretty sure there has never been any promises that life is fair and perfect from the start. Many of us have bruises and scars to prove just how unfair and imperfect life can truly be.
BUT the gift of giving truly MUST transcend our circumstances and conditions. We shouldn’t ever say “well I couldn’t give because the moment just wasn’t right…” well, let me ask you when will the moment ever be right? (and I’m speaking to myself right now) We can’t continue to make excuses in life – it doesn’t matter where we’ve been or the hurts we’ve endured – how we come out of those moments truly will define us.

Gary is testament to a defying circumstances.
He has touched my heart in a way that I am forever changed.
His gift is so much more than eight hours out at a Salvation Army kettle stand. Despite his circumstances, Gary is displaying what living life should look like.

Do you have time to give? Then give it.
Do you have talents to give? Then give it.
Do you have treasure to give? Then give it.
Don’t make excuses, don’t hold back, don’t squander it or hoard it.
Our gifts come in many shapes and sizes…what we do with these gifts matters!

Something more to ponder today.

December 22, 2015 0

A Star Wars Redemption Story

So I must admit that I do love watching the Star Wars movies…even (gulp, I’m afraid to confess) the prequels, and I just watched the new Star Wars movie – “The Force Awakens“.

NO SPOILERS HERE…
I will admit that I just had to read about all of the spoilers BEFORE seeing the movie, because I’m THAT guy who also reads the last chapter of books…I hate surprises I guess.

BUT –
I won’t spoil it for you (and there ARE a number of “surprises”), the action, the humor and the “Star Wars Ecosystem” is still intact in this movie. From start to finish there is action, suspense and intrigue. You will not fall asleep in this movie!

A Pondering on Star Wars Force Awakens:
One of the most intriguing characters, at least for me, that was introduced in this film is a Storm trooper of the First Order turned Resistance fighter Finn, formerly designated FN-2187. Finn is conflicted with his purpose as a Storm Trooper despite the First Order programming since childhood. He chooses to leave “the dark-side” and fight on the “good” side of Han Solo, General Leia and the Rebel Alliance.

What I find intriguing is the story of second chances and redemption in the character of Finn. I think he is both afraid and brave at the same time. He despises what the First Order represents as well as what his old life within the First Order. Although He can’t change the past, he longs to fight against the dark side. This is something that the antagonist (Kylo Ren) in this film also struggles with in his own sinister way.

Finn’s character, in my opinion is like ALL OF US –
We’ve all come from places of regret and shame. As Christ-followers, we were once lost and without hope. Our old lives are no more, and yet still they haunt us from time to time. We can peer backwards with a sense of disdain and recognize that there is now hope and a bright future…because of Christ.

Do you have baggage that still clings to you today?
Does your past sometimes haunt you?
The wonderful thing about forgiveness is that these past regrets; your old life – they are both in the past and can no longer hold you from experiencing the present with Christ.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” -Jesus (John 10:10)

Perhaps we can all relate to Finn…and we certainly have something wonderful to live for and declare to our world because of what Christ has done for us.

If you like the Star Wars movies – you will not be disappointed. Go see it with the whole family! If you’re new to the Star Wars world (*gasp*), I would recommend watching some of the other films before jumping into this one, you might end up scratching your head because there is a lot of history to understand. All in all, I give Star Wars Force Awakens

Something more for us all to ponder today…may the force be with you. 😉

December 21, 2015 2

Author: Pastor'sPonderings