Maybe there isn't a better time than now to start writing and sharing some of my experiences. I mean, it's only been like two years since I posted anything on my blog!!
Anyway, in the past almost two years as Director of YPM, I don't think I have posted anything and I have had some great experiences, met many of God's children, and have had my heart strangely warmed on many occasions. (I hope my heart being strangely warmed happens constantly throughout my life).
This past week I had the privilege of attending the Global Board of Church and Society's Young Clergy Leadership Forum in Washington DC. I want to highlight a few of my experiences.
First, after three years at Wesley Seminary in DC, I never had the opportunity to go to The United Methodist Building, which is directly next door to The United States Supreme Court. As you might have guessed we spoke a lot about justice issues, but not only in the US context but in a global context as well. I heard from Rev. Ande Emmanuel from the West Africa Central Conference, Nigeria, and he spoke of battling the violence in his country through peaceful means. He shared the horrific violence from Boko Haram kidnapping the young ladies from his country...I thought, "How in the world do you fight that kind of violence, that type of injustice with peace?" God slowly gave me my answer that it is not through the peace of this world, but only through the peace of God through the presence of the Holy Spirit! We heard from many others that day including the former White House Spokesperson for President Clinton, Mike McCurry, but nothing stood out to me more than the call for peace in the midst of violent times.
The next day, my highlight was going in the senate building. I had not been inside the Capital since I went with my grandparents and my Uncle Paul when we got to sit in on a session (I'm thinking like 1978'ish). We were there for a morning session with the United States Senate Chaplain Barry Black...and all I can say is wow! He is definitely being used by God in incredible ways and is not afraid to speak a prophetic word or two when it comes to government. In the afternoon we came back to hear a panel discussion from some of our Democrat State Senators about Faith and Values and the roles they play in their lives as Senators. It was also good to see Delaware Senator Chris Coons on the panel and talk openly about his faith.
Quick interlude and shout out for those of you with ADD that think this blog is entirely too long...breaking it up shouting out to Rev. David Blackwood and Rev. Todd Christine...haha...and now back to our regularly scheduled programming...
Lastly, this experience would not have been the same without the awesome people that God has allowed me to share in their journey. The young clergy from around the world have a passion for Christ that ignites a fire in me to do more, be more, and serve others more for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus the Christ. I heard faith stories and journeys...I felt the breath of the Holy Spirit poured out upon me through chords of love that spilled from the voices of those anointed with the gift of song...and through preaching I heard a voice crying out from the wilderness that was preparing this world for the coming of the Lord; THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NEAR, it is here but it is also, not yet. I met colleagues that turned into friends...we are part of a greater connection...(although The United Methodist Church does a great job connecting)...we are part of a greater connection that Fanny Crosby wrote about in one of my favorite hymns: Building Day by Day. The chorus is what I close with...
We are building day by day
As the moments glide away
A temple that the world may not see;
Every victory won by grace
Will be sure to find its place
In that building for eternity
Be Kingdom Builders...ESPERANZA!!
Friday, January 30, 2015
Thursday, April 18, 2013
In the Wake of Tragedy
Good Morning Everyone,
I wanted to take some time this week and really reflect on the tragedy in Boston and offer a prayer for the people affected and in the time of reflection the past couple of days, there was a fertilizer plant explosion just north of Waco TX. Both of these tragedies swirling with the news reports of the 15 yr old girl that took her life in California just seven days after an assault on her at a party and then some cyber bullying that happened afterwards that drove her to feel that the only way out was to take her own life.
So let me start with the 15 yr old Potts young lady, the Boston Marathon, and then the fertilizer plant.
Ms. Potts. First I want to start off by saying that m heart goes out to any family that has lost a child. The familiar saying is that "It is not supposed to happen this way...the parent is supposed to go before the child". That expression and many others don't comfort in that time of need. Actually many people will say many things to try an console a family over loss. These things are not meant to be insensitive but many times we don't know what to say. Things like...
"God needed her more..."
"God took her to save her from tragedy later..."
"God needed to teach us something..."
While we search for the words to say please remember that God does not take anyone...God receives them with open arms and unfortunately life and death happen in this world but we are given eternal life through Jesus Christ where there will be no more death, sickness, and hurting. Which can lead into another discussion. What happens when someone is successful in completing suicide attempt.
In the United Methodist Church we believe the following:
We believe that suicide is not the way a human life should end. Often suicide is the result of untreated depression, or untreated pain and suffering. The church has an obligation to see that all persons have access to needed pastoral and medical care and therapy in those circumstances that lead to loss of self-worth, suicidal despair, and/or the desire to seek physician-assisted suicide. We encourage the church to provide education to address the biblical, theological, social, and ethical issues related to death and dying, including suicide. United Methodist theological seminary courses should also focus on issues of death and dying, including suicide.
A Christian perspective on suicide begins with an affirmation of faith that nothing, including suicide, separates us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). Therefore, we deplore the condemnation of people who complete suicide, and we consider unjust the stigma that so often falls on surviving family and friends.
We encourage pastors and faith communities to address this issue through preaching and teaching. We urge pastors and faith communities to provide pastoral care to those at risk, survivors, and their families, and to those families who have lost loved ones to suicide, seeking always to remove the oppressive stigma around suicide. The Church opposes assisted suicide and euthanasia.
From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church -
Please pray about this stance in the light of your own circumstances and challenges around suicide and the families that are left to deal with it and the pain that is left behind.
I want to address one more issue in light of the tragedy of this young 15 year old. As parents we have a responsibility to our children. A responsibility to protect them, guide them, and lead them in paths that have a good outcome. We know that our kids will "detour" sometimes in life and we need to be there to help them back on the right road. Proverbs 22:6-"Train a child in the way that they should go and when they are old they will not turn from it". In my struggle with everything that happened with this young lady is the fact that the parents let their child at 15 years old, go to a friends house overnight without any adult supervision. This does not excuse the horrible acts committed by the teenage boys, but I believe in my heart that if the parents made a more positive decision, a more authoritative decision, then it might have avoided this tragedy all together. My heart goes out to the Potts family, the family of the boys, the friends that feel the loss of their friend, and the school officials that suffer the loss of a student.
Second, is the Boston Marathon tragedy. I cannot begin to tell you the emotions that flooded in my heart the first time that I saw the videos of these calculated and heartless bombs that when off killing two but wounding almost two hundred physically but the wounds that transcend this tragedy are countless. There are many feelings that we will feel in the wake of this event. W will feel anger towards whomever did this, we will feel a sense of revenge to get the people back who did this, and we will also feel sorrow and loss for those who were there and are dealing with the aftermath.
Be careful not to lose the sense of who we are as Christ followers in the wake of this tragedy. First and foremost a Christian is supposed to show love and not hate. "Love those who persecute you", isn't that what Jesus said? How about Jesus' words from the Cross towards the people that drove the nails in his hands..."Father, forgive them for they know not what they do". I believe that the people who are responsible for this heinous act should be brought to justice and they are in fact punishable by the law of our land. But remember it is easy to hate...it can be difficult to love, show mercy, and walk humbly with our God.
I also want to point out that in the culture and society that we live in, social media has taken front stage. Pictures and stories that are surfacing from this tragedy are not always true. There have been many pictures taken from other incidences and stories where names, places, and times are changed to fuel the fire of hate. Don't believe everything you read and see on the internet and I urge you to go to trusted websites and not just click on anything that Google pops up. Be responsible in the emails that you forward as well and check them with www.snopes.com.
Lastly, I would like you to be in prayer for the families who were impacted by the fertilizer plant explosion. 5-10 were killed and many will be affected as well. I still don't know all of the details of this tragedy because there are so many false stories going around, but what I do know is that this is another tragic event and many families will feel loss.
So in closing I am going to leave you with a prayer that not only covers the three tragedies mentioned above but many of the tragedies that happen around the world everyday...Will you pray with me...
Loving and merciful God we come before you in the wake of tragedy
We come before you with questions and seeking answers
Lord, we want to know why?
How can a loving God allow these tragedies...people hurt...the loss of life....to happen
Help us to realize that it is not you O Lord that causes these tragedies
But you are God who heals and walks with us in the midst of the pain and suffering
That you are a God who puts our feet back on solid ground and helps us to stand.
Lord we pray for all families who suffer loss
We pray for families whose hearts are breaking around your world
We pray for families who are being torn apart by war, acts of terror, and by those who feel they have no other choice but to take their own life.
We pray for your healing among the nations and upon the oppressed as well as the oppressor
We pray for the victims and those who bully and act out of hate
Help us to always act in love
We ask O God that your hand cover those who deal with tragedy where there is no person who caused it as in the fertilizer plant explosion
Things that happen where there may have been nothing we can do to prevent it
But our action is to pray, and our re-action is to pray, and our instinct is to pray
Because in prayer we find peace, we feel your presence, and we find comfort
Help us to love, free us to care, open us to experience, and pour out your grace upon us so we can share it with others
As a people we pray all these things in the Name of Your Son, Jesus the Christ, who showed us the way...Amen
Esperanza!!
Pastor Scot
Proverbs 22:6
I wanted to take some time this week and really reflect on the tragedy in Boston and offer a prayer for the people affected and in the time of reflection the past couple of days, there was a fertilizer plant explosion just north of Waco TX. Both of these tragedies swirling with the news reports of the 15 yr old girl that took her life in California just seven days after an assault on her at a party and then some cyber bullying that happened afterwards that drove her to feel that the only way out was to take her own life.
So let me start with the 15 yr old Potts young lady, the Boston Marathon, and then the fertilizer plant.
Ms. Potts. First I want to start off by saying that m heart goes out to any family that has lost a child. The familiar saying is that "It is not supposed to happen this way...the parent is supposed to go before the child". That expression and many others don't comfort in that time of need. Actually many people will say many things to try an console a family over loss. These things are not meant to be insensitive but many times we don't know what to say. Things like...
"God needed her more..."
"God took her to save her from tragedy later..."
"God needed to teach us something..."
While we search for the words to say please remember that God does not take anyone...God receives them with open arms and unfortunately life and death happen in this world but we are given eternal life through Jesus Christ where there will be no more death, sickness, and hurting. Which can lead into another discussion. What happens when someone is successful in completing suicide attempt.
In the United Methodist Church we believe the following:
We believe that suicide is not the way a human life should end. Often suicide is the result of untreated depression, or untreated pain and suffering. The church has an obligation to see that all persons have access to needed pastoral and medical care and therapy in those circumstances that lead to loss of self-worth, suicidal despair, and/or the desire to seek physician-assisted suicide. We encourage the church to provide education to address the biblical, theological, social, and ethical issues related to death and dying, including suicide. United Methodist theological seminary courses should also focus on issues of death and dying, including suicide.
A Christian perspective on suicide begins with an affirmation of faith that nothing, including suicide, separates us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). Therefore, we deplore the condemnation of people who complete suicide, and we consider unjust the stigma that so often falls on surviving family and friends.
We encourage pastors and faith communities to address this issue through preaching and teaching. We urge pastors and faith communities to provide pastoral care to those at risk, survivors, and their families, and to those families who have lost loved ones to suicide, seeking always to remove the oppressive stigma around suicide. The Church opposes assisted suicide and euthanasia.
From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church -
Please pray about this stance in the light of your own circumstances and challenges around suicide and the families that are left to deal with it and the pain that is left behind.
I want to address one more issue in light of the tragedy of this young 15 year old. As parents we have a responsibility to our children. A responsibility to protect them, guide them, and lead them in paths that have a good outcome. We know that our kids will "detour" sometimes in life and we need to be there to help them back on the right road. Proverbs 22:6-"Train a child in the way that they should go and when they are old they will not turn from it". In my struggle with everything that happened with this young lady is the fact that the parents let their child at 15 years old, go to a friends house overnight without any adult supervision. This does not excuse the horrible acts committed by the teenage boys, but I believe in my heart that if the parents made a more positive decision, a more authoritative decision, then it might have avoided this tragedy all together. My heart goes out to the Potts family, the family of the boys, the friends that feel the loss of their friend, and the school officials that suffer the loss of a student.
Second, is the Boston Marathon tragedy. I cannot begin to tell you the emotions that flooded in my heart the first time that I saw the videos of these calculated and heartless bombs that when off killing two but wounding almost two hundred physically but the wounds that transcend this tragedy are countless. There are many feelings that we will feel in the wake of this event. W will feel anger towards whomever did this, we will feel a sense of revenge to get the people back who did this, and we will also feel sorrow and loss for those who were there and are dealing with the aftermath.
Be careful not to lose the sense of who we are as Christ followers in the wake of this tragedy. First and foremost a Christian is supposed to show love and not hate. "Love those who persecute you", isn't that what Jesus said? How about Jesus' words from the Cross towards the people that drove the nails in his hands..."Father, forgive them for they know not what they do". I believe that the people who are responsible for this heinous act should be brought to justice and they are in fact punishable by the law of our land. But remember it is easy to hate...it can be difficult to love, show mercy, and walk humbly with our God.
I also want to point out that in the culture and society that we live in, social media has taken front stage. Pictures and stories that are surfacing from this tragedy are not always true. There have been many pictures taken from other incidences and stories where names, places, and times are changed to fuel the fire of hate. Don't believe everything you read and see on the internet and I urge you to go to trusted websites and not just click on anything that Google pops up. Be responsible in the emails that you forward as well and check them with www.snopes.com.
Lastly, I would like you to be in prayer for the families who were impacted by the fertilizer plant explosion. 5-10 were killed and many will be affected as well. I still don't know all of the details of this tragedy because there are so many false stories going around, but what I do know is that this is another tragic event and many families will feel loss.
So in closing I am going to leave you with a prayer that not only covers the three tragedies mentioned above but many of the tragedies that happen around the world everyday...Will you pray with me...
Loving and merciful God we come before you in the wake of tragedy
We come before you with questions and seeking answers
Lord, we want to know why?
How can a loving God allow these tragedies...people hurt...the loss of life....to happen
Help us to realize that it is not you O Lord that causes these tragedies
But you are God who heals and walks with us in the midst of the pain and suffering
That you are a God who puts our feet back on solid ground and helps us to stand.
Lord we pray for all families who suffer loss
We pray for families whose hearts are breaking around your world
We pray for families who are being torn apart by war, acts of terror, and by those who feel they have no other choice but to take their own life.
We pray for your healing among the nations and upon the oppressed as well as the oppressor
We pray for the victims and those who bully and act out of hate
Help us to always act in love
We ask O God that your hand cover those who deal with tragedy where there is no person who caused it as in the fertilizer plant explosion
Things that happen where there may have been nothing we can do to prevent it
But our action is to pray, and our re-action is to pray, and our instinct is to pray
Because in prayer we find peace, we feel your presence, and we find comfort
Help us to love, free us to care, open us to experience, and pour out your grace upon us so we can share it with others
As a people we pray all these things in the Name of Your Son, Jesus the Christ, who showed us the way...Amen
Esperanza!!
Pastor Scot
Proverbs 22:6
Thursday, April 11, 2013
The Lorax
Greetings Everyone,
It has been 7 days shy of a month since I posted my last blog...did you miss me?? Well it has been an entirely busy Easter Season, Spring Semester at School, and trying to find time to do what it takes to be a Godly Father, Godly Husband, and a Godly Pastor. So I think things are getting back to some normalcy and I look forward to posting weekly again on my blog. You will also be able to find a link to my blog on Kenton UMC's improved website www.kentonumc.org
Since i mentioned the improved website, let me also add that one of the things that will be added within the next week or so is the ability to donate to Kenton online. You will be able to give directly to the church, to the youth ministries, or the building fund. it will make things so much more convenient and will enable people around the world to be able to support the vision and mission of Kenton to introduce people to God through the person of Jesus Christ so that their hearts and minds may be transformed by the Word of God.
This Sunday we will be back to Dr. Seuss and we will be discussing The Lorax. A lot of questions came to mind for this particular study. We could talk about the environment, we could talk about responsibility, or we could talk about evangelism. Well, I am trying to roll all three of those things into one 17 minute sermon. So here is how you can respond to this week's blog...
Environment: What are some things that you are doing to help our environment?
Responsibility: How are we being responsible when it comes to injustices in our country and around our world?
Evangelism: How are we spreading the seeds of God's love to everyone we meet?
One other thing...take a look at http://www.seussville.com/loraxproject/
(or just google the lorax project)
This is a great way to help protect forests and endangered animals around the world. It has some great activities and fun stuff for the kids as well. Check it out and I will talk at ya next Monday!!!
Esperanza!
Pastor Scot
PS: Remember when you are commenting back, make sure you change the response type to HTML or Wordpress unless you have a google account. Thanks.
It has been 7 days shy of a month since I posted my last blog...did you miss me?? Well it has been an entirely busy Easter Season, Spring Semester at School, and trying to find time to do what it takes to be a Godly Father, Godly Husband, and a Godly Pastor. So I think things are getting back to some normalcy and I look forward to posting weekly again on my blog. You will also be able to find a link to my blog on Kenton UMC's improved website www.kentonumc.org
Since i mentioned the improved website, let me also add that one of the things that will be added within the next week or so is the ability to donate to Kenton online. You will be able to give directly to the church, to the youth ministries, or the building fund. it will make things so much more convenient and will enable people around the world to be able to support the vision and mission of Kenton to introduce people to God through the person of Jesus Christ so that their hearts and minds may be transformed by the Word of God.
This Sunday we will be back to Dr. Seuss and we will be discussing The Lorax. A lot of questions came to mind for this particular study. We could talk about the environment, we could talk about responsibility, or we could talk about evangelism. Well, I am trying to roll all three of those things into one 17 minute sermon. So here is how you can respond to this week's blog...
Environment: What are some things that you are doing to help our environment?
Responsibility: How are we being responsible when it comes to injustices in our country and around our world?
Evangelism: How are we spreading the seeds of God's love to everyone we meet?
One other thing...take a look at http://www.seussville.com/loraxproject/
(or just google the lorax project)
This is a great way to help protect forests and endangered animals around the world. It has some great activities and fun stuff for the kids as well. Check it out and I will talk at ya next Monday!!!
Esperanza!
Pastor Scot
PS: Remember when you are commenting back, make sure you change the response type to HTML or Wordpress unless you have a google account. Thanks.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Palm or Passion
Hi All,
I am just getting home after tonights CCAKE Bible Study. PK did a wonderful job teaching tonight and I learned something new about Mary anointing Jesus' feet. Thank you for teaching us about letting our hair down in complete worship. (If you were there, you would be really laughing right about now)
I finished up mid-term stuff and the first half of the semester is behind me and I am looking forward to the second half. Someone once asked Eric Liddell how he ran the 400 meters for the Olympics. He said, "I run the first 200 as fast as I can and with God's help, I run the second 200 even faster". I am running the race to win!! After this semester I will have a summer full of classes and a hospital chaplaincy internship, a Fall and Spring semester and if all the classes are available, i could possibly graduate in May...but if they don't offer everything I need, I may have to take a couple of classes and finish in the fall 2014. No Biggie, still cut almost a year off my Seminary time. Gotta get done so I can concentrate more on my family and the ministry of Kenton Church in the world!!
Speaking of finishing a race, I am so glad that Jesus finished the race set before him. That I serve a God who is very much alive and within the hearts of us all. During that race there was the day where people cheered him on as he rode on a colt into the city of Jerusalem. That is what this coming Sunday's message will be about, Palm Sunday. As a mostly lectionary preacher, I have the choice to preach on the Palms or the Passion and I usually go back and forth each year so for this Sunday it will be on the palms.
Our scripture lesson will be on Luke 19:28-40. Read through the passage of scripture and maybe you would like to share a moment where you felt like you were in the presence of royalty or a time when you were so awestruck you couldn't even describe the event.
As an example, allow me to share one such moment. One of my Pastor heroes is Rev Alistair Begg from Parkside Church outside of Cleveland Ohio. I began listening to him shortly after I gave my life back to Christ. He is solid, his teaching is sound, and I love the fact that after 20 years of being in the United States he still has a wonderful Scottish brogue. While on vacation with the family we decided we would start at the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, head over to Sandusky Ohio to go to Cedar Point, and then to Cleveland for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. While leaving Cleveland I asked Dawn if it would be alright if we stopped by Parkside Church and see if Alistair was there. I figured there was no chance of that but at least I would be able to get my picture in front of the church sign so I could tell everyone at least I had been there. So it wasn't too far off the path, maybe 10 miles at most, and we got there and started walking around this huge church. (After Dawn got my picture in front of the church sign, lol). We walked around the church until we found the bookstore/coffee shop which was open. The lady at the counter asked if she could help me and I let her know that we were from Delaware and if there was a chance I would just like to introduce us to Alistair if he was there. The lady said in fact that he was there earlier but thought he was gone for the day but she would check. So we waited for what seemed like an eternity and finally I heard the woman's voice from the bookstore in conversation with a voice that I recognized that had this Scottish brogue...AND THERE HE WAS!!! I got to meet him and he shook my hand and met my family. He informed me that he had just gotten back from Scotland and wasn't supposed to be there but he wanted to stop in for a couple of things...talk about a God-incidence. He told us about the church, showed us their future building plans, and then asked about what was happening in Kenton Church. He was really interested in what I had to say and he was overjoyed about the lives that were being touched by God through the ministry of Kenton. He grabbed a couple of books and DVD's off of the bookstore shelf (that were written or about him) and he signed them to me!! I could barely speak! and the ride home was even better. For over 7 hours Dawn couldn't wipe the smile off of my face. And now I go back each year to the Pastor's Conference that he puts on for three days in May to rejuvenate and revive. When I went back my first year, he remembered me and my family which made me feel good.
So that''s my story...I hope you would share one as well. See you on Sunday and if you don't come to my church, I hope you find a church near you, at a time that's convenient for you and your family, so you can hear the Word of God proclaimed this Sunday. Church...there's nothing like it!
Esperanza!!
Pastor Scot
I am just getting home after tonights CCAKE Bible Study. PK did a wonderful job teaching tonight and I learned something new about Mary anointing Jesus' feet. Thank you for teaching us about letting our hair down in complete worship. (If you were there, you would be really laughing right about now)
I finished up mid-term stuff and the first half of the semester is behind me and I am looking forward to the second half. Someone once asked Eric Liddell how he ran the 400 meters for the Olympics. He said, "I run the first 200 as fast as I can and with God's help, I run the second 200 even faster". I am running the race to win!! After this semester I will have a summer full of classes and a hospital chaplaincy internship, a Fall and Spring semester and if all the classes are available, i could possibly graduate in May...but if they don't offer everything I need, I may have to take a couple of classes and finish in the fall 2014. No Biggie, still cut almost a year off my Seminary time. Gotta get done so I can concentrate more on my family and the ministry of Kenton Church in the world!!
Speaking of finishing a race, I am so glad that Jesus finished the race set before him. That I serve a God who is very much alive and within the hearts of us all. During that race there was the day where people cheered him on as he rode on a colt into the city of Jerusalem. That is what this coming Sunday's message will be about, Palm Sunday. As a mostly lectionary preacher, I have the choice to preach on the Palms or the Passion and I usually go back and forth each year so for this Sunday it will be on the palms.
Our scripture lesson will be on Luke 19:28-40. Read through the passage of scripture and maybe you would like to share a moment where you felt like you were in the presence of royalty or a time when you were so awestruck you couldn't even describe the event.
As an example, allow me to share one such moment. One of my Pastor heroes is Rev Alistair Begg from Parkside Church outside of Cleveland Ohio. I began listening to him shortly after I gave my life back to Christ. He is solid, his teaching is sound, and I love the fact that after 20 years of being in the United States he still has a wonderful Scottish brogue. While on vacation with the family we decided we would start at the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, head over to Sandusky Ohio to go to Cedar Point, and then to Cleveland for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. While leaving Cleveland I asked Dawn if it would be alright if we stopped by Parkside Church and see if Alistair was there. I figured there was no chance of that but at least I would be able to get my picture in front of the church sign so I could tell everyone at least I had been there. So it wasn't too far off the path, maybe 10 miles at most, and we got there and started walking around this huge church. (After Dawn got my picture in front of the church sign, lol). We walked around the church until we found the bookstore/coffee shop which was open. The lady at the counter asked if she could help me and I let her know that we were from Delaware and if there was a chance I would just like to introduce us to Alistair if he was there. The lady said in fact that he was there earlier but thought he was gone for the day but she would check. So we waited for what seemed like an eternity and finally I heard the woman's voice from the bookstore in conversation with a voice that I recognized that had this Scottish brogue...AND THERE HE WAS!!! I got to meet him and he shook my hand and met my family. He informed me that he had just gotten back from Scotland and wasn't supposed to be there but he wanted to stop in for a couple of things...talk about a God-incidence. He told us about the church, showed us their future building plans, and then asked about what was happening in Kenton Church. He was really interested in what I had to say and he was overjoyed about the lives that were being touched by God through the ministry of Kenton. He grabbed a couple of books and DVD's off of the bookstore shelf (that were written or about him) and he signed them to me!! I could barely speak! and the ride home was even better. For over 7 hours Dawn couldn't wipe the smile off of my face. And now I go back each year to the Pastor's Conference that he puts on for three days in May to rejuvenate and revive. When I went back my first year, he remembered me and my family which made me feel good.
So that''s my story...I hope you would share one as well. See you on Sunday and if you don't come to my church, I hope you find a church near you, at a time that's convenient for you and your family, so you can hear the Word of God proclaimed this Sunday. Church...there's nothing like it!
Esperanza!!
Pastor Scot
Monday, March 11, 2013
How Much Does it Cost
Hello and Good Monday Morning to you all...
I think Spring has finally sprung...We will be averaging 50 degree weather this week!! As I get older I have found that I can take the cold a lot less. I remember times when I used to play in the snow in shorts and a t-shirt. If I did that now, I think I would end up in the hospital and I definitely don't want to think about the cost of a hospital stay today even when we have insurance. The co-pays can be unreal.
According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (www.kff.org) "The average premium for single coverage in 2012 is $468 per month or $5,615 per year. The average premium for family coverage is $1,312 per month or $15,745 per year." How much does it cost us to be sick? Maybe a better question is how much does it cost us to be well?
As I was reflecting on the scripture passage for this upcoming week I also began to think about how much it costs to die. In the Gospel of John 12:1-8 a woman, most commonly we are told it was Mary, poured expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus. The perfume was worth a year's wages. Jesus did not have much time left physically on the earth so this act of surrender was in preparation. It cost her a whole year's wages.
What does it cost us to follow Christ? Has it cost us anything?
As you read and reflect on the scripture for this upcoming Sunday, I want you to think of the cost of following Christ. Would you have been as willing as Mary, to "pour out" an entire years wages upon the Lord? How much are you willing to give to be spiritually well and in a full relationship with God?
Share your struggles with this text and what it means for you in your life and walk with Jesus.
Esperanza!
Pastor Scot
I think Spring has finally sprung...We will be averaging 50 degree weather this week!! As I get older I have found that I can take the cold a lot less. I remember times when I used to play in the snow in shorts and a t-shirt. If I did that now, I think I would end up in the hospital and I definitely don't want to think about the cost of a hospital stay today even when we have insurance. The co-pays can be unreal.
According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (www.kff.org) "The average premium for single coverage in 2012 is $468 per month or $5,615 per year. The average premium for family coverage is $1,312 per month or $15,745 per year." How much does it cost us to be sick? Maybe a better question is how much does it cost us to be well?
As I was reflecting on the scripture passage for this upcoming week I also began to think about how much it costs to die. In the Gospel of John 12:1-8 a woman, most commonly we are told it was Mary, poured expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus. The perfume was worth a year's wages. Jesus did not have much time left physically on the earth so this act of surrender was in preparation. It cost her a whole year's wages.
What does it cost us to follow Christ? Has it cost us anything?
As you read and reflect on the scripture for this upcoming Sunday, I want you to think of the cost of following Christ. Would you have been as willing as Mary, to "pour out" an entire years wages upon the Lord? How much are you willing to give to be spiritually well and in a full relationship with God?
Share your struggles with this text and what it means for you in your life and walk with Jesus.
Esperanza!
Pastor Scot
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Your Story
Hi everybody,
I hope all is well with your souls this day.
In this past Sunday's sermon I mentioned how important it is to listen to people's stories. Listen with the intent to hear what they are saying and only after we have heard their stories and have understood them, then we share ours.
So this week I would love to hear from you. Please share your story. I want to hear all about you. I want to hear where you came from, where you have been, and where you are going. This is a time for you to put down in your own words...your story. Maybe you have never shared your story with anyone. Maybe you feel that you would be judged by your story. Maybe you don't know where to begin. So let me give you some insight/advice. First off...I just want to know about you and I would love for you to get comfortable sharing your story. Secondly, start at the beginning...where were you born, did your parents go to church, are you from this area or somewhere else in the country? Just start at the beginning. It can be as long or short as you want. But I want to hear you.
The Bible scripture for this Sunday is on the Parable of the Lost Son or the Prodigal Son (it's known by several names). We will be reading from Luke 15:1-3, 11-32. Read this scripture after you have shared your story. Then on this coming Sunday March 10th, I will be sharing my testimony (story) with all of you. Invite your friends and family members or your neighbors. This son was lost but is now found!!
DONT FORGET TO SPRING FORWARD THIS SATURDAY NIGHT
See ya Sunday!!
Esperanza!
Pastor Scot
I hope all is well with your souls this day.
In this past Sunday's sermon I mentioned how important it is to listen to people's stories. Listen with the intent to hear what they are saying and only after we have heard their stories and have understood them, then we share ours.
So this week I would love to hear from you. Please share your story. I want to hear all about you. I want to hear where you came from, where you have been, and where you are going. This is a time for you to put down in your own words...your story. Maybe you have never shared your story with anyone. Maybe you feel that you would be judged by your story. Maybe you don't know where to begin. So let me give you some insight/advice. First off...I just want to know about you and I would love for you to get comfortable sharing your story. Secondly, start at the beginning...where were you born, did your parents go to church, are you from this area or somewhere else in the country? Just start at the beginning. It can be as long or short as you want. But I want to hear you.
The Bible scripture for this Sunday is on the Parable of the Lost Son or the Prodigal Son (it's known by several names). We will be reading from Luke 15:1-3, 11-32. Read this scripture after you have shared your story. Then on this coming Sunday March 10th, I will be sharing my testimony (story) with all of you. Invite your friends and family members or your neighbors. This son was lost but is now found!!
DONT FORGET TO SPRING FORWARD THIS SATURDAY NIGHT
See ya Sunday!!
Esperanza!
Pastor Scot
Monday, February 25, 2013
Back to Dr. Seuss...
Greetings Everyone...
I cannot believe it is Monday already and we are coming to a close to yet another month in 2013. It is only 10 months until Christmas!! Sorry about that...I just get so ahead of myself. I absolutely look forward to the time of Lent and Easter and I do not want to speed through it. Christmas seems to fly by but the time leading up to Easter allows us to take some time and look inside of ourselves and prepare. I hope you are preparing your hearts and minds each and everyday for God to pour out blessings upon you. Remember...you do not have to be in a church to Praise God! Praise God in the morning, in the evening, and during the daytime as well.
The Heroes in Our Midst program went very well yesterday at Centennial UMC. It was a privilege to be a part of that through playing music and having the Faith Seekers present on Cab Calloway. Our Faith Seekers did not know it but Cab Calloway was one of my favorites!!
Our Monday Bible Studies are going well and it gives us another perspective of the text that we preach on for Sunday morning. I have found this curriculum to be very insightful and user friendly and we have been using it at Kenton for all age groups. I have been using it for my daily devotions as well and have found it to be wonderful. It is called Ashes to Fire (if you have not heard of it) and it begins with Ash Wednesday and continues through to Pentecost.
Well this coming Sunday, March 3rd we will be back to the first Sunday of the month series on Dr. Seuss. This Sunday we will be looking at the story of Green Eggs and Ham and relate it to the Sacrament of Communion. So in your responses if you choose to comment on the blog, I would like for you to share about a communion experience that you had. For instance, One for me would have been the first time I was able to preside over the table in August of 2005. That was an awesome time. For others it may have been the time that you experienced Christ fully for the first time...just share whatever experience comes to mind.
Someone pointed out last week that they could not comment on the blog...i checked it out and what i had to do was type up my comment and then preview it first, then I posted it without difficulty. So try that first, or feel free to post on my Facebook or Twitter.
AND DON'T FORGET THAT THE WEEKEND OF MARCH 10TH DAYLIGHT SAVINGS ENDS...TURN YOUR CLOCKS ONE HOUR FORWARD. I WILL REMIND YOU ALL AGAIN NEXT WEEK. (sorry for shouting)
Esperanza!!
Pastor Scot
I cannot believe it is Monday already and we are coming to a close to yet another month in 2013. It is only 10 months until Christmas!! Sorry about that...I just get so ahead of myself. I absolutely look forward to the time of Lent and Easter and I do not want to speed through it. Christmas seems to fly by but the time leading up to Easter allows us to take some time and look inside of ourselves and prepare. I hope you are preparing your hearts and minds each and everyday for God to pour out blessings upon you. Remember...you do not have to be in a church to Praise God! Praise God in the morning, in the evening, and during the daytime as well.
The Heroes in Our Midst program went very well yesterday at Centennial UMC. It was a privilege to be a part of that through playing music and having the Faith Seekers present on Cab Calloway. Our Faith Seekers did not know it but Cab Calloway was one of my favorites!!
Our Monday Bible Studies are going well and it gives us another perspective of the text that we preach on for Sunday morning. I have found this curriculum to be very insightful and user friendly and we have been using it at Kenton for all age groups. I have been using it for my daily devotions as well and have found it to be wonderful. It is called Ashes to Fire (if you have not heard of it) and it begins with Ash Wednesday and continues through to Pentecost.
Well this coming Sunday, March 3rd we will be back to the first Sunday of the month series on Dr. Seuss. This Sunday we will be looking at the story of Green Eggs and Ham and relate it to the Sacrament of Communion. So in your responses if you choose to comment on the blog, I would like for you to share about a communion experience that you had. For instance, One for me would have been the first time I was able to preside over the table in August of 2005. That was an awesome time. For others it may have been the time that you experienced Christ fully for the first time...just share whatever experience comes to mind.
Someone pointed out last week that they could not comment on the blog...i checked it out and what i had to do was type up my comment and then preview it first, then I posted it without difficulty. So try that first, or feel free to post on my Facebook or Twitter.
AND DON'T FORGET THAT THE WEEKEND OF MARCH 10TH DAYLIGHT SAVINGS ENDS...TURN YOUR CLOCKS ONE HOUR FORWARD. I WILL REMIND YOU ALL AGAIN NEXT WEEK. (sorry for shouting)
Esperanza!!
Pastor Scot
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