Be Prepared

 Good morning.  It’s a very pleasant, cooler day today in the Wichita area.  Hopefully, this will be the beginning of the ushering in of autumn on the Great Plains.

 A minister friend of mine posted on social media this morning this thought:  “Let this be a lesson; always be prepared.”  Sounding a lot like the Boy Scout motto, “Be Prepared,” and remembering back to times when my Dad would say to me after some particularly difficult situation, “Let that be a lesson to you,” I was curious to read the rest of the post.

 It seems that Jake (not his real name) went to the office in a rather unkempt fashion, having not shaved, wearing not-so-clean clothes, and so on, expecting to spend his day hunkered down in his office with his sermon and waiting for the UPS man to deliver a package.  That was not to be, however, because when he arrived at the office, there was a voicemail from a hospice chaplain asking him to minister to a couple where the wife was terminal and not expected to live more than a few days.

 Jake said that fortunately, there were some clean slacks in the office, and he had some hygiene items there as well.  And, he said, the Dollar store sells razors.  My presumption is that he got himself presentable and visited the couple in need.

 As a minister, one’s day is much like the days of many others.  The best-laid plans sometimes just don’t happen because of a phone call, text, or email that suddenly causes a seismic shift in the priorities of the day.  It is impossible to predict all of the possibilities; so the best thing is to just be as prepared as one can be going into and through the day.

 I have a comb, a toothbrush, and a razor in my mobile office…my pickup.  There are other hygiene items at the church.  And, as Jake said, the Dollar store is not far away.  I also try to keep at least a minimal level of fuel in my gas tank so I don’t have to suddenly worry about getting gas when I need to be somewhere unexpected.  I try to dress appropriately, even if my plans are only for office work.  I still carry a little cash with me as well as the usual panoply of credit and debit cards.  And I try to keep my old pickup in such a condition that I could, if necessary, hit the turnpike for a several-hour trip.

 Even with all that, there are times when the level of preparedness is not adequate.  Both Plan A and Plan B are non-starters.  It’s those times when plan C needs to go into effect, whatever that plan may be at the time.

 You may by this time be wondering why I spent so much time with this topic.  And for those of you who know your Bible, you know that this topic is addressed…more than once.  But it is addressed in terms of spiritual readiness…not in terms of having a spare comb or razor handy.

 Mark 13:  “Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.”

 I Corinthians 16:  “Remain alert. Keep standing firm in your faith. Keep on being courageous and strong.”

 Colossians 4:  “Continue to pray regularly; stay alert and be thankful.”

 There are other places, of course, which speak of being ready, alert, and watchful.  And, of course, they are speaking of spiritual readiness.  One does not know the hour of one’s passing into eternity.  It could be today.  It could be ten years from now.  It could be any other time.

 The point of the matter is, are you ready to meet the One who created you?  Are you prepared to give answer for the life you’ve lived?  I’m not trying to frighten you…rather, I’m pointing out a reality that transcends what we see and know in this life and this existence.  You may or may not agree with me that there is a life beyond this one.  You may or may not believe that there is a God who is over and above all that there is.  There’s no way to offer scientific proof for either points of view.

 But what if there IS an afterlife?  What if there IS a God who created you and will one day ask you to account for the life He gave you?

 I leave it to you.  Are you prepared?  Are you alert?  Are you ready?  Do you have the spiritual equivalent to a spare comb, toothbrush, and razor handy?  May God bless and encourage you as you continue down life’s pathway toward eternity.

 Blessings,

Open Your Heart

 

Good morning !!

 

As a church in downtown Wichita, we are not like many other churches which are located in residential areas.  We don’t have the neighborhood community that some of the other congregations have.  We are in the middle of Wichita, just a couple of blocks from the center of the city.  Yes, there have been a few apartments built in the area, but by and large those apartment dwellers do not consider themselves to be our neighbors.  Younger people mostly, they tend to stay to themselves when it comes to being neighborly with a church.

And I get that.  Church nowadays, it seems, has very little relevance to the younger crowd.  Establishing careers, working on couple relationships, navigating COVID, inflation, and the other ills of society, and living in an urban building with 200 other people can make a person see things in ways that some of us have difficulty understanding.

We do have a community of neighbors, however.  By far most of them are either homeless or near homeless.  Some live under the First Street bridge just a few feet from our property.  Others camp out in the nearby park or find shelter in neighboring alleys.  Many have mental health issues.  Many are addicts of some kind.

Some have difficulty getting around due to injury or some kind of handicap.  Others are distrustful of anyone else, having been robbed, beaten, or sexually assaulted in the past.  Some, due to their mental health situation, are not welcome in shelters, food pantries, or other inside places.

Most don’t have a legal form of identification.  Either what they had has been stolen or they just never have had one.  They don’t have the money needed to gather the forms they need and go to the DMV to get an ID.  And without an ID, it’s nearly impossible to access needed services, medication, and other means of help, let alone apply for a job.

We have struggled over the years as a church to serve the community that surrounds us.  How do we best serve those without a home—without enabling the kind of behavior that keeps them on the streets and away from the services that ARE available to them?

We’ve tried several ways of serving the population over the years.  And while a few have made substantial progress in life and living, by far most continue to walk the streets looking for the next meal, the next fix, or the next shelter.

We’ve partnered with non-profits that serve the homeless.  We’re on a first-name basis with the members of the Wichita Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team.  Some of our members volunteer for non-profit organizations that serve the homeless in some way.  As a smaller church, we don’t have the financial means to operate our own shelter, medical service, or other similar programs.

And yet we desire to serve in some tangible, face-to-face way that will demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ to these who find themselves in a situation that many times feels like being chained with no way of escape.

Government has not found the magic solution to homelessness.  Non profits haven’t either.  Churches and religious institutions struggle just as we do to serve in some meaningful way.

So, where do we go from here?  We’ve just recently pulled back from one form of service that ended up being more enabling than anything else.  We’re groping for yet another way to serve…one that will, in some small way, help rather than enable and hinder.

Jesus said that we will always have the poor with us.  But He didn’t say that because of that truth, we can just ignore them and go our merry way.  In fact, quite the opposite.  As God’s people, we are to serve the poor, feed the hungry, and clothe those without garments to wear.

What does that look like in 2022 in downtown Wichita?  We still don’t know with certainty.  What we do know is that we are called to serve…called to disciple…called to help right the wrongs that are endemic in the world we live in.

We will continue to pray, consider, and move in ways that we believe Jesus would have us go.  Pray with us.  Find ways to serve.  Be salt and light in a dark and troubled world.  You may not have the homeless in your neighborhood.  But there is someone within your circle of influence that you can serve in some way.  Find that person.  Find that situation.  Open your heart.

 

Blessings,

Be A Julie

 Last evening, one of the missionaries that RiverWalk Church helps support paid us a visit.  Julie is a missionary in Cambodia.  She is the director of the B.E.S.T. Center in Phnom Penh.  BEST is an acronym for Bible, English, Study and Training Center.  In the BEST Center environment, students attending a university in Phnom Penh live at the BEST Center and do additional study in the English language as well as the Christian faith.  Many of the students stay the entire four years they are at the University, and many become Christians during their stay.

The BEST Center experience is one of family and relationship.  Students do life together at the center, along with mentors and teachers.  It is truly a home away from home.

During Julie’s presentation last evening before the group that was gathered, I asked her how it was that she chose to do the work she does in Cambodia.  Her reply was, at least to me, an amazing insight into why missionaries do what they do.

I can’t quote her exactly, but this is the paraphrase version.  “I grew up in that part of the world, as my parents were missionaries there.  Some years ago, as a younger woman about to leave for the United States, one evening I was on a bridge over the Mekong River.  I looked out and saw people who had never heard of Jesus Christ.  I wondered how they would ever hear about him if I didn’t come back and tell them.”

This is Jay again.  Did you catch that?  Julie was so smitten by the urge to tell people about Jesus that she took it upon herself to be responsible for doing just that.  The result of that was the establishment of the BEST Center and a very successful program of study of the English language as well as teaching the students about God and his love for his people.  Many lives have been forever changed and many have stepped across the line of faith as a result.

And then, following the presentation, her comment about who was going to say something if she didn’t hit home with me.  I had to evaluate what I said and did in everyday life and living…whether I was even minimally concerned about those who had never heard and understood the good news about Jesus Christ, let alone whether or not I actually did anything about it.

You see, it’s easy to point to someone else and accuse them of not caring about the souls of others…not telling others about Jesus.  It’s much more difficult to point back to oneself and conduct an unbiased evaluation of one’s own work for the Kingdom of God.  That’s when the discomfort begins and the realization hits that one’s own life is lacking the zeal for the story of God and his love for his people.  That’s when one either stops and takes a good look at his life and way of living, or pushes it all into the background in order not to have to confront it.  That’s when one drops to her knees in prayer, or occupies her time with more busy work in the hope of forgetting the reality of those people in her circle of life who have never encountered the Living Jesus.

I don’t know what your faith persuasion is, or even if you have one.  I do know that as humans, we often try to overlook or ignore the truth about ourselves, if that truth is critical or points out shortcomings in our lives.  But if we are going to make any improvements in our own life situation, if we are going to do anything to make this world a better place for our having been here, if we are going to do anything that has lasting, eternal value, we have to see ourselves not as we’d like, but as God sees us.

Julie was smitten in her heart by the sight of those who were alienated from God.  She determined to do something about it and followed through.  We don’t have to be missionaries in Cambodia, or Africa, or Russia.  Not all of us are called or have the ability to do that.  But we all have the ability to do something.  Finding that something involves a truthful assessment of our lives, our abilities, and our life situation…then acting on what we’ve found out to be true.

Be a Julie.

 

Blessings,

A Quick Trip

 Last weekend, we made a quick trip to Lubbock, Texas for a wedding of one of our great nephews on Pat’s side of the family.  We went down on Saturday, had the wedding Sunday afternoon, and came back Monday, Labor Day.  The ceremony and after party came off without a hitch, at least as far as I know, being only an observer and a member of the male gender.

However, while we were in that neck of the woods, we decided to meet up with a young couple that our church was interested in helping financially.  Jace and Aria (not their real names) are wanting to do mission work in Japan, if at all possible.  They would be working with an established group of missionaries already on the ground.

There have been issues, however, with Japan being closed to foreign travel due to COVID.  The shut-down looks to be a long time thing, so Jace and Aria are looking at other possibilities here in the states.

The couple is young, in their very early 20’s, newly married, fresh out of seminary schooling, and I am guessing barely making ends meet financially.  He is from Wisconsin and she from Western Colorado.  They haven’t known each other all that long and have been married even less.  They have, to say the least, a rather long row to hoe in the next few years just in solidifying their marriage, their finances, their vocational endeavors, and all of the other things that go with the making of a new family.  The Japanese roadblock to their mission plans may turn out to be a blessing in disguise, because this may give them time to re-think their future and also time to cement their relationship with one-another as well as with the in-law families.  It will also give them time to re-think their plans and develop their service and missionary skills in the USA where the culture shock won’t be as significant as a stint in Japan.

We attended the church where Jace gave the lesson in the adult Bible class, then preached probably one of his first sermons to a congregation outside of school.  We took them to lunch and had a great conversation with them in the span of about 2 hours in a booth at the Chili’s on University Avenue.

They told us that the church where Aria was from was looking for a minister, and that they had applied there.  We talked about some of the positives as well as the negatives of working in ministry in a place where one had grown up.  We talked about some of the pitfalls of interviewing with a committee of church members who may or may not have experience in human resources or have an understanding of the role of the minister.  We talked about several other topics related to ministry, congregational relationships, and the family life of a minister.

We parted with a fondness and attachment for one-another.  We hope to keep the communication alive and be able to work in some way with them once they have a better idea of where God is leading them.

So, why am I telling you, my Thursday Thought audience all of this?  What we did this past weekend can serve as a few reminders for us all.

First, young people still have weddings.  Oh, I know it isn’t as much of a deal as it used to be.  So many are setting up housekeeping without the legalities of a marriage nowadays, including my great nephew and his now spouse.  But there are still young people in this world who long for the security and stability of a marriage, and even go to some expense to put on a wedding complete with the traditions that have been part of weddings for decades, if not centuries.

Second, young people still have a desire to serve and make the world a better place.  Jace and Aria are two such youngsters.  Even though they are very new to the world of adulthood, they have a desire to make a difference.  And that’s a noble and honorable thing.

Third, and this has nothing to do with either of the first two, if you travel through King County in Northwest Texas, you need to stop at Guthrie and visit the general store.  Some of you may know that King County is one of the least populated counties, having a population of about 230 people.  The county seat, Guthrie, is an unincorporated place…a wide spot in the road.

The King Ranch, famous in Texas lore even until today, spreads out over 350,000 acres of King County scrub brush, decent pasture, and some interesting geology.

If you need to use the restroom, and they are few and far between in that part of the country, the general store has a public restroom, but it’s “out back,” and you need to get a key to access it…available inside.  While you’re inside, you can peruse the western wear, the boots, the groceries, the cold drinks in the cooler, and other things that are for sale.  Go ahead…buy a souvenir, some snacks, or maybe a Coke in a small bottle (use the bottle opener hanging on the side of a table).  The ladies there will appreciate it, and you’ll go away with a smile, content to know that there are still some common sense, down to earth places in the world…and Guthrie, King County Texas at the general store is one such place.

 

Blessings,

 

It's A Magical World

 

Good morning, and welcome.

 In the event you didn’t already know, this is the first day of autumn.  You are correct.  Today is NOT September 22, which the calendar reveals as the first day.  Today is September 1, the first day of meteorological autumn.  Meteorologists have a little different take on the seasons than the calendar.  Autumn for them begins on September 1 and goes through November 30.  Winter is December 1 through February 28.  And so on with Spring and Summer.

It is usually during about this time of the year that even if the days remain hot, the nights become cooler.  And the days themselves don’t usually become as hot as in mid summer.  This time also usually heralds an increase in what we might term the autumn rains as cold air masses clash with warm air masses in the middle part of the country, providing the proper conditions for rain, and even some stronger storms.

September also normally brings a maturing of the outdoor plant life.  Plants often seed themselves during this time.  Some begin to die back.  Others change color.  Plants that like cooler weather will grow better during this time.

And it’s also a time for animals to change their behavior.  Squirrels and others rush to store up food for the winter months.  Summer bird species begin their migration to warmer climates.  Some animals find mates and propagate their kind during this time.  Crickets and spiders look for warm places to make their homes.  It’s a busy time for all of nature, getting ready for the cold winter, ice and snow to come.

I don’t know if you look for these kinds of things in nature or not.  Such things may not interest you, and that’s OK.  However, I’ve always been interested in observing the changes in nature and the environment as we pass from one season to another.  Part of that interest is the fascination I have in wondering just how these animals and plants know what to do and when to do it to prepare for the upcoming changes.  Yes, it is programmed into them in some way, but where did that programming come from?  And how did it happen that they were able to make these adjustments in the first place?

Yes, I know all about the creation/evolution thing, and the conflicts and arguments that arise from both camps regarding why things are the way they are.  And it’s not my intention to get into that today.  Regardless of how God chose to do things, I earnestly believe that it was (and still is) a God thing and not a random act of random molecules coming together in certain random ways that just happened to produce all that we see and experience.  And one of the big things I look at when I think about this, besides what I know from Biblical literature, is the process of metamorphosis.  Without going into detail, I will just say that metamorphosis is a truly mind-blowing and incredibly complex process that screams out for a higher power to have created and sustained it, however that creation and sustenance might have actually happened.

The other mind-boggling thing is found in the Bible in the book of Hebrews where the writer says that Jesus Christ “is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”  That phrase “all things” is synonymous with the word “universe.”  Somehow, even now, everything we see and know, and all that we can’t see and don’t know is being upheld and made operational by the power of Jesus Christ.

I don’t know if you are a faithful Christian, nominal Christian, agnostic, spiritualist, atheist, or some other religious persuasion.  What I do know is what I see and perceive in life and living.  And I’m finding that Christianity has answers that nothing else has, for questions that come from the souls of men and women everywhere in all times, all societies, all situations.

The world we see…the universe we see…is just one thing that points to the God of Heaven and earth.

May God bless you as you too continue down the path of life into what some call meteorological autumn.  Keep your eyes, ears, heart and mind open as you observe all that surrounds you.  As Calvin said to Hobbes some years ago in the final strip of the long-running comic “Calvin and Hobbes,” “It’s a magical world, Hobbes old buddy.  Let’s go exploring !”