Time for something new

Since my last post I took a 3 hour cruise (ferry) to n.b. and back.
Going on the ferry had a couple of bus tours aboard .
What interesting people seem to be attracted to bus tours...
I guess I won't pick on them today!

I have recently gone to my first Baptist induction service for a new minister.
Truly we Wesleyans have got things good compared to others.

But as we are in this service with all of its formalities , right in the middle of it, they had 3 choruses.
Why?
It wasn't a worship service.
The hymns they sang were wonderful funeral marches.
These were new songs so mostly no one knew the words.
They were I think arranged wrong.( Slow to fast. I prefer fast to slow)

Who say's there has to be " chorus" to make it a service ?
Can not the reading of the word be seen as worship?
Do we forget that hymns are worship to?

later

NY Islanders

Yarmouth has hosted this week the NHL training camp NY Islanders and last night we went to their game- islanders against islanders or blue team against white team and it was great!
The chance to see NHL players play any time is great :)

But this morning we are getting another chance to see someone famous and its Tropical Storm Ophelia that's now hitting us with rain.

I checked out our provincial gov't Emergency Preparedness Checklist WEB SITE to see what they recommend in case we lose our power or suffer even greater loss.
I wonder how many hits they get from serious people or is it a service offered but just used.
I am curious because As a church we have a " Emergency Preparedness Checklist" for eternal disaster and not a lot of people seem to be taking this one serious.
So As a church I hope we are getting hits ( people) and being a service offered but not used!

We Need Revival !
Later

It's amazing to me...

Well Sunday is just about over and now its time to review the day.

Now that my sermon is over I wish I had just about one more quote to have tied it all together but its over now! And maybe I should of reside a few words differently
but its done and next Sunday is now on the radar.

While leading the song service today someone got up and did a interruptive dance.
I am o.k. with this knowing the person's sincerity.
Now had I gotten up to dance I would of been escorted out :) as fast as lightning.

Already I have received a phone call about it and I am sure to hear more.
Oh The joy's of a small church.

To them and all my reply is "they have done it in other Wesleyan Church's I have been at."

I will blog on this again if more is said :) this could get interesting.

Tonight we have changed bedrooms moving up stairs instead of being in the basement.
I accident's broke our head board and almost lost our mirror for the second time in our married life, plus a few other minor little things I'll leave out here.

This kind of stuff might be alright for those people on t.v. re-decorating houses all over the country and looking happy with it but for me it stinks.
So to conquer my some what sour attitude to all this I am going to think of these things as "TRAINING FOR THE MISSION FIELD" and maybe it will help :)

Later

Ministry is cool

Not always but on occasion I get to do things under the umbrella of ministry wich are cool, like just now a senior lady brought to me a broken window hangy thing ( or a light reflector) that needed fixing, so I took it to my tackle shop and made the repairs, and gave it back to a very happy lady , now I told her the only payment necessary was at some point during my sermon she give a good loud hallelujah .

We Wesleyans use to have words like this shouted out during sermons - but not much these days!
At least any where I have pastored. and so my question is Why ?

Well here are some of my thoughts on it....

1.) Our zeal not so much for the preacher but for the Word has been put on a diet.

2.) We have to many peole that don't hold to the same standard of doctrine.
( some hate to hear about sanctification, while others cringe at the mention of Spurgeon at all in the same church)

3.) I am worried again that our younger Christians have not been around any one being truly
blessed by God, or have seen any one come under extreme conviction for their Sin.

4.) Maybe we have generated in our church's people who are spiritually insincere - out wardly saying yes to God but not supporting it with their life.

What do you think ?

Later

6 hrs is to long

Today I have been recuperating from spending 6 hours the night before in Out Patients with my daughter waiting to see a Dr. About her wrist that she fell on in school .

And it was a sprang and it did need a cast AND the pain pill I gave her wore off way before the Dr. Saw here and it was not a picnic.

But in the midst of this agony, of waiting , along came ( not a spider) but two clowns that for a half hour made us all laugh. They do this a volunteers at the hospital and go thought it bringing cheer to all.

So tonight I Salute those dedicated voluteers who come and bring cheer in their clown costumes.

Later

The first day is over

School has begun and its a good feeling. Except in the pocket book! It cost app. $100.00 bucks for school supplies for each child and we went the cheap route which included recycling last years stuff. And here is the kicker -- its the first day and already book orders are coming home wanting more Money and all kids have to use an agenda for the year provided by the school at $ 5.00 per child so the cost of public school keeps going up.

I can't remember having all this stuff way back there in the ancient 70's and 80's.
Not even in College which my wife reminded me that I was in almost 20 years ago.

Back to school , in Yarmouth recycling is a big deal here we have 3 diff. Bags for garbage on the go plus a green cart for food. So Why can't recyling be encouraged for school supplies.
Life is expensive enough with out these list of school supplies needed for the first day of school.
I really doubt if kids really wrote in all their books and used all their pencils etc. Today.
But we did our best to keep our kids supplied for this great day!

Is amazing what parents sacrifice for their Kids...

But I am thankfor for all my parents have done for me in the past and even the present.

Later

Sept.6

The warmth from outside on the lake today felt more like August than September but here it is Sept.6 and we are now on the eve of a new school year:) :) :)
Our church always has a hot dog/marshmallow roast the Monday night of Labor Day weekend
to either say good bye to summer or hellow to a new school year or a opportunity to roast hot dogs and marshmallows over an open fire and sit around and talk.
Its amazing to me that this real simple idea is so successfully.
People love to come. I think for many its the only time they get to eat such a gourmet feast.
I usually can out eat any one with marshmallows but not this year, because we have as a family begun to go CAMPING and what do you eat at a camp fire but marshmallows.
We always have music at these events and this year we had a accordion to help us sing our favorites to.
Accordions are cool - they make you think of that Steve guy ( or at least me) from TV.

Not only did we camp out this weekend , have a church camp fire .... My wife saw her brother after 7 years of no communication with him.
One word sums this up. WEIRD ! Its amazing how many ways one can discuss the weather or weather related topics. He came with his family and left after an hour and so we looked at each other and asked who was that?

And finally one more note to this long weekend.
My son reported to me there was a dead bird on the church ramp, to which I went to investigate and saw there was one there, so I got my shovel and took it accross the street to my neighbor to verify its brand. It was a hawk as I thought. So I tossed it over the bank, later to night I noticed in the church window an impression of a bird who hit the window and died sadly.

Later

Glued to CNN

Over the past night and morning we got the remains of Katrina.
Living here in Yarmouth it isn't unusall for us to get the remaining winds of hurricanes that hit further south along the Atlantic cost.

I can not even imagine what it must be like where this hurricane hit.
But I do know one who can help and it is God.

I do think that to manage through a time like this you need more than a bumper sticker faith to survive.
For the words of Paul about having a sound doctrine I think can help people keep their faith up during these times.

Now this is usually the day my sermon is typed and ready for Sunday but its almost done which better than not, but what I am thinking is how or what would you preach in that area?

And would the people listen?

And will people in my community see that life is not about things but living.
I wonder if people will see that there can be no guarantees beyond the now unless it is in God.
I wonder how I would respond?
I wonder if our church would open its doors and show Jesus?
I wonder if my preaching would change after this?
I wonder if church would be full?

Back to CNN

Later