A Moment In Time

FOUR

2008-09-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

FOUR!!!

Only twice did I need to holler that word today. Now that certainly doesn't mean that I stayed in the fairway the rest of my shots. To say that I covered most of the course would be a more accurate statement. Thankfully the best part of the golf game was the fellowship!

I forgot how much more challenging it is to play golf in PA than in IL. I actually had to deal with playing my ball off the side of a hill on 17 of the 18 holes.

What about monuments

2008-07-30T06:40:00.000-07:00

As I prepare for my trip back to PA for a little R&R, I was thinking about the massive 200 foot cross that I'll pass by in Effingham, IL. What are we to make from such monuments? Is this the right way to display or Christian beliefs? Thanks to a post by my friend Paul Grabill, I was able to ask myself what I thought about alternative religious displays. Are either or both of these OK?

As I read God's Word, there is only one way the lost will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and that is through the sharing of the Gospel. Whether by preaching or by testimony. It is not by picketing and law suits. The Word says, "Let your light shine...", not the massive halogen lamps that light up the cross on the side of the road. What could have been done to reach the lost if all that money went to missions?

2008-07-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

AMAZING GRACE in a strange place

In looking for an illustration on grace that could drive home a point, I came across this Amazing Grace story.

In a time when many of our sports stories are about steriods or high-profile arrests, it’s good to hear a sports story that stars grace.

It happened a few months ago at a woman’s college softball game in Ellensburg, Washington. The two teams, Central Washington and Western Oregon were playing for a spot in the league playoffs. It was the most meaningful game of their careers.

There was no score in the top of the second inning, when senior Sara Tucholsky stepped to the plate with two runners on base. Sara was a substitute outfielder who stood only 5 feet 2 inches tall and was batting only 3 for 34 for the season. Sara had never hit a home run in high school or in her four years of playing in college.

She was an easy target for the home-team hecklers who sat behind home plate. She took the first pitch - a strike. Then she swang at the second pitch and when she hit it she knew it was out of the park. She looked up to see the ball sail over the center field fence.

Sara was jumping with joy as she rounded first base - so much so that she missed the bag. So she reversed her direction to return to tag the base - and that’s when disaster struck. Sara’s tendon in her knee snapped and she collapsed on the field.

The two players on base had already crossed home plate, leaving Sara as the only offensive player on the field. She was crumpled on the ground a few feet from first base and a long way from home plate. The rules of the game stipulated that if any of her teammates or coaches touched her on the field of play that she would be called out. Sara was weeping as she painfully crawled to first base. Her coach thought the only option was to substitute a pinch runner for Sara, but since she had only touched first, that would take away the home-run and change it into a single. So, it looked like the only home run of Sara’s career would be canceled.

That’s when grace showed up. As the coach was preparing to substitute a runner for Sara, Mallory Holtman, the first baseman for the opposing team stepped up and asked, "Excuse me. Would it be OK if we carried her around and she touched each bag?" Mallory was the star hitter for the Central Washington team. She was also a senior and had been putting off a couple of knee surgeries herself until the season was over. Now with her post-season career on the line, she offered to help a player who she only knew as her opponent for the past four years.

The umpires conferred and agreed that while none of her teammates could touch her on the field of play there was no rule that prohibited the opposing team members from carrying her around the bases.

So Mallory enlisted the help of her shortstop, Liz Wallace, and the two girls gently picked Sara up and started carrying her around the bases. As the home crowd realized what was happening they started standing to their feet and cheering this act of graceful kindness.

As she talked about what happened Mallory said, "We all started to laugh at one point, I think when we touched the first base. I don't know what it looked like to observers, but it was kind of funny because Liz and I were carrying her on both sides and we'd get to a base and gently, barely tap her left foot, and we'd all of a sudden start to get the giggles a little bit."

When they arrived at home plate, Sara’s teammates met her with tears in their eyes as they congratulated her for her first and only home run of her career. The fans were standing and cheering as they carried Sara back to the dugout.

Then Mallory and Liz returned to their positions to try to win the game that would extend their softball careers into the playoffs. If Hollywood had been writing the script, then Mallory and her team would win and go to the playoffs, but they ended up losing the game 4-2 and were eliminated.

But Mallory didn’t regret for a second what she did. In fact she told a television reporter, "In the end, it is not about winning and losing so much. It was about this girl. She hit it over the fence and was in pain, and she needed help."

What a display of grace-living! My definition of grace is "God giving me what I NEED rather than what I DESERVE." Mallory and Liz didn’t give Sara what she DESERVED - a single and a record without a homer. Instead, they gave her what she NEEDED. They didn’t give her justice, they showed her grace.

Do you think that would have happened in a Yankees/Red Sox game? If a professional ballplayer was injured while running a base the opposing team would tag him out in a heartbeat and say, "he got what he DESERVED!"

when I first saw the story of Mallory and Liz carrying Sara around the baseball diamond, I couldn’t help but think what a perfect illustration that is of God’s grace.

Like Sara, each of us has been tripped up and injured by our own sin. None of us could make it home on our own because we’re all sinners and fall short of the glory of God. The law is like an umpire that says, "You’re OUT!"

But Jesus Christ, full of grace and truth, came to us and extended nail-scarred hands, and said,"Excuse me. Would it be okay, if I carry you home?" And it is because of His grace, and His grace alone, that we can arrive safely home.

As the beautiful old song says, "In loving kindness Jesus came; my soul in mercy to reclaim; and from the depths of sin and shame; THROUGH GRACE He lifted me! From sinking sand, He lifted me; with tender hand; He lifted me! From shades of night; to plains of light; oh, praise His name, He lifted me!" (Words by Charles Gabriel, 1905)

And that's just another reason why God's grace is so amazing!

Worship

2008-05-06T19:18:00.000-07:00

As a pastor I am constantly challenged with the "worship" battles that take place in churches. Why should worship be a battle. Well...it really isn't a battle. It is music style that is the battle. True Worship is between man and God. Check out this video clip and ask God if you are worshiping Him or just wanting your senses tickled by the style of music you like.

Then go to GTAOG.com (chose your format) for an awesome message on worship! Great word Brian!

The Simple Things

2008-04-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

Tonight my 11 yr. old daughter starts softball. So last night we went out to the field and played a little catch. Michael (14) brought out the dog and ran around for awhile. As we were out there I couldn't help but be thankful for my healthy family. We very rarely make a trip to the Dr. unless it is required for school check-ups. I haven't been to the Dr. since I was smitten with strep throat in PA two and half years ago. Even then I didn't want to go but had to drive back to IL so I needed to get fixed up quick.

I am thankful for God's blessing of health on my family.

Pork Steaks

2008-04-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my kids school pork steak fundraiser. 600 lbs of grilled pork steaks, and only 10 lbs of it splattered on my shirt. We had a great day of fellowship, fun and food all while raising money for the PTF.

Bad Timing

2008-04-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Tim Enloe through Paul Grabill, I am still laughing.

Why is it that we just have to laugh at others pain?

No sound on the video but it is certainly not needed.

Have a great laugh!

Worship Leader Blunder.

No More Christian Nice Guy

2008-04-02T19:27:00.000-07:00

Reading a good book No More Christian Nice Guy. The book takes a look at the wimpification of men. It is a book that challenges our thinking on what it means to be God's man in the 21st century. The apostle Paul pens in 1 Corinthians 16:13, 'Act like men.' That begs the question, What is a man? This book is an excellent answer.

I highly recommend this book for ALL men to read.

Rolling Down the Alley

2008-04-01T20:57:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, church bowling league night. Well, we won 2 out of 3, which puts the Blitzburgh Strikers back in 2nd place, just 3 points behind the 1st place team.

We always have a blast! It is so fun to laugh at each other when we roll the gutter balls.

Take a look at this crazy shot.

I'm Back

2008-03-31T17:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, Ok.

I know it has been awhile. But I am going to try and keep this updated as much as possible.

As many of you know I have been doing a daily e-mail devotion, which has pulled me away from this blog. Well...I guess I will try to do a little bit of both.

So what's happening? My kids are growing, my in-laws are in town, Pitt blew another tournament game, the river is rising, and I am just plugging along.

Well, I guess that's a good start-up. More tomorrow.

Thank You Dierberg's

2007-11-05T21:25:00.000-08:00

I love my PA Dutch sodas. Especially birch beer (no it's not alcoholic). But living out in the mid west some things are just hard to come by unless they are shipped to me by my parents or in-laws. I never thought I would says this about a grocery store, but Dierberg's, YOU ROCK!!! That's right Dierberg's in Edwardsville, listened to the request of this lowly little customer from PA and within a month stocked the shelf with Boylan's Creamy Red Birch Beer. Believe me when I tell you, it almost brought tears to my eyes. So what if what I paid for a 4 pack here in the mid-west could have bought me a 24 pack back in PA. Every sip has been a treasure. The only downside to this is that now I am going to have to budget and extra $20 a month into the grocery budget. Oh well...

DOES GOD CARE WHAT GIRLS (WOMEN) WEAR?

2007-09-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

Does God care what I wear?” It may not be a question most fashion-savvy teenage girls consider when they get dressed in the morning, but it should be, says Sarah Bragg, author of Body. Beauty. Boys.

According to Sarah Bragg, answering this question is the first step in realizing that God does care about the way teen girls and women dress and learning how they can please him in their appearance.

“Fashion is good, It’s not wrong to be in fashion, but it’s wrong to dress in a way that gives a false impression of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 3:16, which says one’s body is the “temple” or dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and Romans 12:1-2, which urges Christians “to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”

According to Matthew 5:27-29, girls should realize they can become a “stumbling block” to men of all ages when they dress immodestly. “You have a lot of power in the way you dress,” Bragg warned. “You have the power to make someone stumble—think about that when you get dressed in the morning. Think about the way you dress. Is there even a hint of immorality?

Girls and young ladies and even some of you older ones need to think about the motivation behind your fashion choices. So many of you are wanting to dress to please guys, not God. “God ultimately wants us to attract one man [for marriage], but dressing immodestly causes arousal in many men and that is against God’s will,” Bragg said.

After understanding what the Bible teaches about modesty, women must then practice modesty. “To be good at something, you have to practice. The same is true when it comes to modesty…. You make a statement by what you wear and people will define you by what you wear. Whether that’s right or wrong, that’s reality,” Bragg said.

God’s definition of beauty is found in such passages as Proverbs 31:30, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised,” and Peter 3:4, “Instead it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

Ultimately, when it comes to fashion, a girl’s chief ambition should be to please God. “Today we need to rededicate our lives to be holy, pleasing, and blameless before [God],” Bragg said.

Adapted from article by Amy W. Richardson

Vacation is Over

2007-07-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

Well it has come and gone. Months of looking forward to vacation gone in just one week.
We had a great time! Just spending time relaxing, reading, swimming, and doing nothing.
Somehow we ended up coming home with a dog. Zoey (as she has been named) showed up on the porch of our cottage house on Wednesday and never went away. Of course the kids couldn't let us leave her, and no one claimed her, so she has now moved from the beatufil country of the Ozarks to the black top home of East Alton.
For all of you pastors who may occassioanly read my blog let me recomend to you a book I read while their.
"10 Things Every Minister Needs To Know" by Ronnie Floyd. This was one of the first insightful books on pastoring that I have read in...well ever.
We came home to a nice warm house. The A/C went while we were away. Prayerfully the new one will be installed before the weekend when temps are supposed to climb over 90 again.

Sermon of the week. "What About the War In Iraq" by Jeff Leak www.allisonparkchurch.com
No matter what you think about it this will get you to think a little more and to certainly pray.

Why Men Hate Going To Church

2007-06-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

I have recently finished reading Why Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow. Talk about an eye opening book. Well it actually contained alot of what I thought already, it just reenforced those thoughts. Here is a recent article I came across that sums it up pretty well. I would encourage every woman who attends church and every pastor to read this book.

HOW MAN FRIENDLY IS YOUR CHURCH?
By Pat Morley, Man in the Mirror

In Why Men Hate Going to Church, David Murrow points out that every church has a “thermostat.” Unfortunately, many churches’ thermostats are set to “Comfort.” Men, says Murrow, need a thermostat set to “Challenge.” Here are some ways men learn about the environment of your church:

They look at the leaders.
Men follow strong leaders. They like to know that their leader is certain of where they are going. If a man doesn’t believe in the leader, he can’t follow the vision. This is particularly important to men who are either young or new to your church. When you hold up a man as a standard, does he look boring, tired, and half-dead? Or does he look vibrant, excited, and wellspoken (regardless of age)? Men should be able to look at the visible leaders in the church and say, “I want to be like that.”

They listen to the music.
While contemporary music may connect stylistically with people, some
of those praise choruses aren’t exactly “man-friendly.” Men resonate with songs that talk about challenge, adventure, and the battle of following Christ and seeing His kingdom become a reality. They tend to connect less with songs that ask another man—Jesus—to “hold me in your arms.”

They read the bulletin.
Be sure the bulletin makes concrete statements about what God is doing through men in your church. “Bible Study, Wednesday night, Room 202, 7:30 p.m.” is not appealing to most men. But “Disruptive Jesus: A Bible Study for Men. Come learn how Jesus challenged the norm, and how He can change your life and our community”— that’s a Bible Study that has a chance at catching men’s attention.

They listen to the pastor.
Pete Alwinson, pastor in Winter Springs, Florida, makes a point of speaking directly to men in just about every sermon. Often he will say, “Men, this is what this means for us...” That sends a clear message that men matter.

They look at the décor.
We’ve noticed an interesting trend in church design: the ladies’ bath- room is amazing. Unfortunately, in many cases the ladies’ room spills out into the rest of the church and this sends a message to men: “We’ve designed this space to make women as comfortable as possible.” Make the physical environment of your church manfriendly. This is as simple as leather couches, striped wall paper, earth tones—even some black and white nature photos on the wall.

Men are extremely sensitive to quality.
This applies to the flyers you hand out, the events you hold, the materials you use in small gr oups and Sunday school, and even the Web site for the church. While you can’t expect to compete with Madison Avenue, men can tell when there is a sincere effort to offer quality.

They listen for humor.
When men see that everything doesn’t have to be “prim and proper” (translation: boring) they get a sense that your church is a place where they can fit in.

They listen for the vision.
Men want to believe that God is doing something through your church. They want to be part of a church that is going somewhere. They want to know that being a man in your church matters.

Adapted from No Man Left Behind by Pat Morley, David Delk, and Brett Clemmer (Moody, 2006)

Get Rid of the Kids?

2007-05-11T07:44:00.000-07:00

I can't believe what I just read. Please read for yourself.

According to radical environmentalists, the biggest threat to the earth isn't CO2 emissions or climate change — it's children. A new paper by Optimum Population Trust (OPT) contends that kids are "bad for the planet" and if couples had one less child, they could "cut their family's carbon dioxide output by the equivalent of 620 [cross-Atlantic flights]." Rather than follow their own dreams of having a family, John Guillebaud, co-chairman of OPT, said that potential parents should first consider the environmental consequences.

Another eco-militant, Paul Watson, founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, is calling for a green genocide. In a May 4 editorial, Watson says mankind "is acting like a virus" and appeals for the world to decrease its population by more than five billion. In the past, Watson has come under fire for claiming that humans are "the AIDS of the earth." Rhetoric like this, fueled by profound pessimism about human possibility, is driving demographic collapse in much of the West, where sub-replacement level fertility is on a collision course with pension liabilities, especially in Europe. Even Al Gore, who this weekend spoke to the American Institute of Architects, resorted to calling the alleged bio-threat a "spiritual crisis." In this, he is half-right, as the key to this eco-pessimism is despair.

The "green" campaign, elevated to a fever pitch by Gore and others who advocate a stronger hand for government, is paving the way for the dire messages of organizations like OPT and Sea Shepherd. I have to ask, if we take their advice and quit having children, just who exactly would we be saving the earth for?

(Tony Perkins is the president of the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C.)

In a world of selfishness, I think this one might take the cake. The lord said, "Be fruitful and multiply." Inhabit the earth. Not, "Think only of yourself. If you have a child your life will end sooner because they are poluting the atmosphere." Lord Help Us!

Planet of the Apes

2007-05-04T19:09:00.000-07:00

It's not bad enough that we are trying to legalize Same sex marriage, now we have to declare monkeys as humans? http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070504/ap_on_re_eu/chimp_challenge

"Our main argument is that Hiasl is a person and has basic legal rights," said Eberhart Theuer, a lawyer leading the challenge on behalf of the Association Against Animal Factories, a Vienna animal rights group.

"We mean the right to life, the right to not be tortured, the right to freedom under certain conditions," Theuer said.

The right to life for a monkey but not a human baby. The right to not be tortured for an ape, but not for our seniors in nursing homes. (Another blog for another time) The right to freedom for a chimp but not for a Christian.

Creation Museum Opens May 28th

2007-05-03T13:52:00.000-07:00

This looks like a great family outing. Just 6 hours from St. Louis. Or for all my Pittsburgh friends, just 5 hours.

The Creation Museum (www.creationmuseum.org) will explain that the Bible - the revealed Word of God - can be trusted to tell us the truth in every area it touches on: geology, biology, astronomy, and so much more. This first class facility, with more than 160 exhibts and 50 videos will feature a "walk through history" based on the Bible's teaching about the past, and it will describe how real science confirms the Bible's amazing account of history.

This looks to be a wonderful, educational and entertaining trip for the family. I look forward to taking my family for a day trip.

PWs no not Pastor Wayne but Pastor's Wives

2007-04-19T07:33:00.000-07:00

It is often said that it is the woman behind the man that makes the man. Well I know that as a couple Suzanne and I compliment each others gifts and continue to become all that God wants us to be. However it is not without struggles. Often as a pastor there are days when I wonder why I even bother. If people would just pick up their Bibles and be obedient to the Word of God then my job would be so much easier, actually it may not even be necessary. But if you think the struggles for a pastor are great what about for a pastors wife?

The pastor's wife is expected to be at all services, work the nursery, teach Sunday school, run the Wm's, sing in the choir, play the piano, clean the toilets, be the secretary, help with counseling, etc... all the while help manage the home with two kids, and work on the side to cover expenses. Here are some frightening statistics ( http://www.maranathalife.com/lifeline/stats.htm ).

I am so blessed to have a wife that loves and cares for me more than anything. Suzanne loves and cares for the body of Christ just as much if not more than she does her family. And isn't that what Christ intended? But so often people are judgemental towards the pastors wife. In a recent Time article this was addressed and I share it with you today.

For all of you PWs who actually take the time to read my blog, thank you. But really, THANK YOU, for your faithfulness to the call of God upon your husband and yourself. Thank you for putting up with us when we have had stressful days at the office. Thank you for understanding that we have to run to the hospital at 3:00 AM because Sister Ethel went in with an infected toe nail. You truly are the unsung hero's in a Pastors life. Thank You!

Thanks Suzanne! I love you!

UNITY

2007-03-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

As I sit here watching the NCAA B-Ball tournament I am drawn to the thought of team unity. There were 3 very close games tonight all decided by less than 3 points. Unfortunately for me the only game that was not close was my Pitt Panthers going down to UCLA (If you know me, you know I can't stand any college team from California or Florida, that's another blog all together). The unity in which these teams have to play is something the church needs to learn. As individual churches and in a greater scale the whole body of Christ working in unity.

So what does it take? How do we become a unified body. I remember singing "Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before." When singing that song as a child I never pictured it to mean one First Church vs. Second Church. Or brother vs. brother. Yet in recent years it seems that this has become a sad fact. Church vs. church, one saying, "Our church is better than your church," the other saying, "Look at us, we have more programs and can meet all your needs." Why are there so many churches vying to draw people away from other churches? I thought the Great Commission was to, "Go into all the world and compel them to come in." I didn't know it was go to the church down the street and steal some sheep.

I recently had a friend tell me about a recent sermon series by her pastor which was all about why not to be Pentecostal, and how it wasn't something that Christians should get involved in. I cringe when I here about these kind of messages being preached from any Christian pulpit. How does this bring the body of Christ together in unity? Sure our fundamental truths and specific doctrines may not line up 100%, but then aren't we to be about the Fathers business. I long for the day when the church is denominationaly color blind. A day when we are working together to proclaim to a lost world that, Jesus is ..."THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE"...

What do you think. I'll have more on this latter.

Continuous Worship

2007-02-26T11:40:00.000-08:00

"I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips" (Ps. 34:1).
"One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple" (Ps. 27:4).

Is it little wonder why God called David a man after His own heart? Why have we in the American church failed to make this a priority. Tommy Tenney writes, "David did two things to make sure God's presence remained in Jerusalem. First, he preparted a place for God's presence by constructing a tabernacle without walls or a veil. Second, he did something special once the Levites arrived at the tabernacle and set the Ark of the Covenant in place. He created a "living" mercy seat of worship in the tabernacle so God would be pleased to sit and remain in the humble sanctuary."

Does continuous worship, as in David's day, create an open heaven? I believe that it does. We must be men and women of intercessory prayer and praise 24/7. Revelation 12:10 tells us that our enemy accuses God's people "day and night." There is never a moment that Satan is not seeking to hinder God's people and His work. Since the enemies warfare is continuous, we ought to counteract his attaks continuously 24/7. I love what IHOP (fotb.com) in Kansas City is doing. They have established a 24/7 prayer and praise room.

Take a moment to Read Isa.62:1-2,6-7 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=isaiah%2062:1-7&version=31). Christ has come for all! This declares that, "The nations will see your righteousness..." We must be in continuous prayer and praise if we expect to see the Kingdom of heaven extended beyond what it is now. The great commission must be fulfilled! The church must have a hunger for God and a passion to win souls. This I believe will only happen when we get back to what we were created for - WORSHIP!

"The flame of white-hot worship from every tribe tongue, people and nation will, indeed, send an unending flow of prayer-filled incense to the throne of God. And that will be just the beginning!" Dick Eastman - Pathways of Delight.

Blasphemy

2007-02-08T16:00:00.000-08:00

For anyone to say that there is not an attack on Christianity all they need to do is to look at this challenge to America (www.theblasphemychallenge.com). Let me caution you of some of the videos that have been created. They not only are a great disapointment to see young teenagers deny the existense of God, but there are some words both spoken and visible that are offensive.

The organizers of the challenge promised a free copy of The God Who Wasn't There DVD to the first 1,001 who accepted the challenge. The DVD normally sells for $24.98.

As of today, there are 950 video responses to the challenge posted on YouTube.

In their news release about the challenge, the organizers said, "While anyone can participate in The Blasphemy Challenge, the Rational Response Squad is focused on reaching a young demographic." To reach that age group, the organizers advertised their campaign on Web sites popular with teens, including Xanga, Friendster, Tiger Beat, Teen Magazine, YM, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen.

By accepting the challenge, participants supposedly are showing others that there is nothing to fear from God, because he doesn't exist. If they are wrong, they have supposedly consigned themselves to an eternity in hell.

If you log on to youtube and view the videos be sure to watch response #945. Thank you girls for affirming your faith and belief in God!

We had a brief discussion in Bible study last night on a similar subject, eternal security, can a person forefit their salvation?, were they even saved in the first place?, If I deny Christ from here on out and confess that I no longer believe he exists and do everythin possible to make sure no one else follows him will I still get into heaven?

What are your thoughts on the subject? I'd love to hear them.

Anonymous Letters

2007-01-27T20:02:00.000-08:00

As a pastor I have often received anonymous letters. Some have been encouraging, but most have been downright ugly and evil. So you'll understand my ammusment with the following blog posted by my dear pastor friend Rev. Paul Grabill. Enjoy.

How to Write an Anonymous Letter

Today I gave counsel by phone to a dear pastor friend who received a nasty anonymous letter. Usually, it's best not to read something that has no name at the end. But it's hard to resist knowing what people think of us, even though we know it's probably going to be ugly.

It reminds me of the story of the famous New England preacher, Henry Ward Beecher, upon ascending into the ornate pulpit found a note with one word, "FOOL." He held it up to the congregation and said, "This is odd. I've known of people who have written a letter and forgot to sign their name, but this is the first time I've known of someone to sign their name and forget to write the letter."

Anyhow, here is my proposal for an honest Christian anonymous letter:

Dear Pastor:

As you can tell by the end of the letter, I have chosen not to sign my name. The reason is obvious: I am a coward. Why can't I just admit that I'm a coward and deal with it? Well, you guessed it, I'm too cowardly to admit that I'm a coward.

Anyhow, I digress. The purpose of this letter is to share with you the inner venom that I have been holding toward you, but can't seem to be able to honestly share with you. I know the Bible says to speak the truth in love, but you're going to have to pray for me about that love thing. It's not there, especially for you.

I realize hit-and-run is illegal when you are using a car, but last I checked it's not when you use a pen. If I'm wrong, I trust God will forgive me.

I guess that may mean that you won't take seriously anything I'm about to say. I understand that. Of course, I'm not really writing this for you. I'm writing it for me. I've got to vent my spleen, or get a spiritual hernia. You understand, I'm sure. Don't you ever do that in sermons?

Well, please know that at this point I'm so angry at you that I can't seem to frame it in a way that anyone would respect--and certainly not you. But I'm still angry, you understand, really, really angry. I mean reeeaaaally angry.

I realize, too, that you won't be able to help me because you don't know who I am. That's my choice. I don't want your help, even though the church pays you tens of thousands of dollars a year to help us. Maybe you can help other people, but not me. I don't know if it's pride or rage or what it is, but I don't want help, even from God, at this point. Some people need a pastor; I don't. If I did, I'd let you know.

So, since I'm here to deal with the speck in your eye, let me proceed with how I want to bring you down to where I am...

Sincerely,

An Anonymous Saint

You can vist His blog at www.scassembly.blogspot.com

YUMMMY - SARRIS CANDY

2007-01-25T18:32:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my wonderful mother in-law dessert was wonderful tonight! We received a nice litt care package from PA today, which included the finest chocolate in the world, Sarris Chocolate from Cannonsburg, PA. The delicious milk chocolate just melted in my mouth. Oh what I wouldn't do to be able to go to my local Shop-n-Save and pick up a few bars and a bag of their famous chocolate covered pretzels.

Since I am on the subject of food, I guess I will continue with foods I really miss from PA that can't be found in the midwest.
A-Treat Soda products. I really miss my Birch Beer and Red Cream Soda.
Shoo Fly Pie. There is just something about going to grammys house and having a slice of homemade pie. Not to mention her wonderful chocolate mayonnase cake with peanut butter icing. And how can I forget her Funny Cake and chocolate marshmallow delight.
Last night almost did me in. While watching the Food Network they went to Pittsburgh and showed the world the beautiful Primanti's sandwich. Fresh sliced bread, with your choice of meat, piled high with fries, topped with coleslaw and tomato.
Thinking of restaurants, my wife really misses Eat-n-Park. Their grilled chicken salad (with the fries allready on) and the smiley cookie.
TastyKakes. Peanut butter candy cakes (Double filled) and butterscotch krimpets (double iced).
Probably one of the biggest things I miss is Lebanon Bologna. I think Seltzer's makes the best but for me any will do just fine.
I cant leave out the best mustard dipping sauce, Herlocher's. And of course you have to buy it in the Penn State jar.
And, oh yeah, a real slice of pizza from Pastor Erics favorite Jake's Pizza Belle Vernon, not crackers with ketchup and cheese (st. louis style).

Well those are just a few of the flavors of PA that I miss. So if any one actually reads my blog and is wondering what to get me for Valentines, Fathers Day, Birthday, or Christmas I left you links where you can order it. Or if you live in PA you can just go to Giant Eagle, Sheetz, Sarris, Eat-n-Park or any place near lancaster and buy and ship it to me. I love you all. And hope that one day some of these items make there way to St. Louis.

http://www.papantry.com/Qstore.cgi

Happy 15th

2007-01-18T21:22:00.000-08:00

Happy anniversary to my beautiful wife of 15 years! I cant begin to express the joy I have experienced growing deeper in love with Suzanne every year. Being married 15 years has lots of memories. How we met (Penn-Del Kids Kamp 1987). Our first kiss (7th hole of the Penn-Del golf course). Our first dinner (sorry I don't remember, it's a guy thing. But I'm sure Suzanne will comment). My proposal of marriage (Fountain Hills, AZ). Our wedding (Beautiful snow covered day, and just for the record I wasn't crying I had something in both eyes, I think it was the reflection of my bride). Our first apartment (Phoenix, AZ). Our first home (State College, PA "The PA Promised Land"). Our first youth group (S. C. Assembly of God, Impact Youth Ministries, we love you guys and think of you often. It is so awesome to see so many of you in full-time ministry and others of you very active in ministry in your churches). Our second youth group (Waynesburg, PA Crosstraining Youth, we love you and are proud of you).
We have made so many friends over the past 15 years it is hard to count them all. But you have all played a vital role in making us who we are.

As I write this with Suzanne asleep beside me, I can't help but think how unfulfilled my life would be with out her. She is a great wife. One that cares deeply for me and would do anything for me. She is truly a reflection of God's grace and glory. She strives to be the best Christian she can and she demonstrates that in public and at home. She makes it so easy for me to love her. I hope and pray that the next 15 are as blessed and wonderful as the first 15. With so many marriages ending in divorce, I am thankful that mine just gets stronger.

I LOVE YOU SUZANNE!!!
XXXOOOXXXOOOXXXOOO

Now A Proud Mac Man

2007-01-10T21:57:00.000-08:00

I am now the proud owner of a Mac Book. Let me just say that after 2 weeks I wonder why I didn't purchase one earlier. I am loving it. The functionality, the ease of learning, and the outstanding software are no match for windows. So if you are in the market for a new puter, I recomend going with a Mac.

Happy New Year

2007-01-01T19:28:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!
For the new year I pray that you will grow closer to the Lord. That you will have an intimate relationship with him. One that is more than just going to church on Sunday. One that moves you from the church pew (or chair, depending on your church) to lost souls in the world. I pray that 2007 will be the greatest year of harvest that the church has ever experienced. What will you do, who will you touch, how bright will your light shine for Christ.

With so much vying for our attention in todays world, we tend to loose focus on what is really important. This year let us resolve to be like Joshua and live by the resolution: "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15. To follow David with a resolution to: Pray, Praise (at all times, when we praise there is no way we can complain, gossip or even ) and Meditate on the Word (Ps. 116:1-2, Ps. 34:1, Ps. 119:15-16). To resolve to be separate from the world as Daniel did (Daniel 1:4-12). And finally to be like the prodigal son and resolve that life is better when we are in our fathers house with his blessings (Luke 15:14).

Exercise

2006-12-26T15:07:00.000-08:00

As each day goes by, I look at myself in the mirror and say, "Man I am really out of shape. I need to start exercising." This seems to be my mantra about every 3 years. Most likely I will start to exercise again and loose about 20 lbs. But in 3 years I can already see myself saying the same thing again. So maybe I just need to say, "O well, Wayne, your getting older and being physically fit isn't as important as it was when I was in H.S. and College." But then again all the Dr.s say it is more important as you get older to be active and in good shape. It helps you maintain good health and avoid the hospital and the medicine. I have noticed and people have commented that I look much better and seem to be more energetic when I am at a lower weight.

I'm not one for making New Years resolutions, but I do like to set goals for myself. So what are some of the goals you have set for 2007?

Tis the Season

2006-12-22T12:40:00.000-08:00

What are your plans for Christmas. We are planning on staying out here in the snowless Mid West. Christmas Eve we will celebrate with our church family in the morning. Christmas day we will enoy the morning with just our family, go to our friends in the afternoon and party.

So is Christmas just another excuse to spend money we don't have and get together with people and stuff our faces, or is there more to it. My hope for all who read this is that you will grow closer in your relationship with the Lord. Tis the season to rejoice in His birth. Christ came to allow for us to have a relationship with God. That relationship is what keeps me going from day to day. Tis the Season all year round.

Spare Time

2006-12-19T15:33:00.000-08:00

What do we do with our spare time? (Reuters - Americans use TV ...) For me I know I don't mind the time I veg in front of the TV. But how much is too much. What are we neglecting or feeding when we are spending hours in front of the tube. When is the last time you spent 30 minutes in prayer instead of watching Seinfeld. Or when was the last time you read your Bible for an hour instead of surfing the web for something interesting like my blog? Even better when is the last time you took a couple of hours and went out into your community (maybe just to your neighbors) and talked to them about the love of Christ?

We seem to be able to come up with all kinds of excuses for why we can't do certain things, but what do you think the Lord's response to us is? Can you even imagine a world where just the Christians used their spare time to grow in their relationship with God or to help disciple a new believer or even to go out and be bold in spreading the good news?

Come On Ring Those Bells

2006-12-19T15:31:00.000-08:00

Paul Grabill - It seems to me that it is often the older congregations that often teach that faith is a very private affair that are the ones most likely to have church bells that ring throughout American communities.We evangelicals normally keep our loud music within the four walls.:)I've always wondered why there aren't more complaints than there are about unsolicited music from ancient boom boxes (bell towers).

Here's a New York Times article about them bells, Christmas and otherwise.
What do you think?

Where Have They All Gone

2006-12-06T08:21:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I preached a message on Leaving a Lasting Legacy. In that message I made the observation that in our church and in the majority of main-line denominational churches there is a huge age gap. The 25 to 55 year olds seem to be missing in action. I gave a couple of personal and statistical reasons for this, such as:
1. I was forced to attend church (a church I didn't like), where they crammed a bunch of thou shalt nots down my throat.
2. I can't just be myself at church, I feel everyone is judging me.
3. Church, what's that? I've never been.
4. The messages aren't relevant to my life. How many times do I really have to be told that I'm a sinner and if I don't "repent" and become "born again" I'm going to burn in hell forever. I got that message the first time when I was 5 and had nightmares for weeks. Trust me, I was scared into heaven. Tell me what the bible says about keeping my marriage together, how to raise my kids, what is good financial planning, how do I deal with my inlaws, how do I balance a busy schedule, etc...
5. The church I attended seemed to draw all the grumpy people, no one ever smiled.
6. I feel I have a stronger walk with God on my own, than having to be quilted into my salvation and service for Him.
7. I was really hurt by some people at my church growing up.
8. There a bunch of hypocrites. Act like angels on Sunday and devils the rest of the week.
9. I'm not sure what to do when I go to church. When I go to a movie I know to go in sit down (with popcorn and soda) and watch the movie. At a sporting event I know to go and root for my favorite team (at church its like they are all on the loosing team, where is the excitement?). At the grocery store, I know to go in, get my items, pay and leave. I mean even at the Dr. I know to sign in at the desk, have a seat, pick up a magazine and it'll be at least 30 to 40 min. Before the Dr. gets to me. But what am I supposed to do at church? Do I sit on the right or the left, or maybe there is assigned seating (there is a Bible that's been left in that spot every week and a the same person seems to claim it every week but never takes it home)? Do I sit, stand, clap, raise my hands, sing loud, sing soft, bring my Bible, read off the screen, smile, look grumpy, compliment the musicians (or is it worship team, I'm so confused)? Should I complain when they sing a song I don't know or one that is too loud or to fast or God forbid to country for my taste. Should a shout amen when I agree with the pastor's message or keep it to myself because it was a personal moment. Do I go up for prayer when I need it, or will everyone else be making assumptions (He's sick, his wife is leaving him, he manages his money poorly, he has an addiction to something) of what I am requesting prayer for? Do I shake hands, hug a neck, or give a holy kiss? Should I come back on Sunday night and Wednesday night? What are these small groups I keep hearing about, but am never invited to?

On and on it goes. So why do you think people ages 25-55 are no longer interested in attending church? If your in that age group I would love to hear your response. And what needs to be done to attract them to church, with out compromising the Word of God.

Who said we had to wear a suit and tie to church. What about those ladies who cut off the circulation to their brain because their hair is pulled up so tight in a bun. Do we make the rules or do we live by the Word of God.?

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

2006-11-29T19:15:00.000-08:00

Well I have waited three years for a big snow storm to hit East Alton, IL and it looks as if it will finally happen. I can only hope and pray. For once I hope my friends at AccuWeather (in the beautiful town of State College) are right. 6 to 12 inches of the fluffy white stuff. I love fresh fallen snow. It reminds me of the purity of my life when seen through the eyes of God. Thank you Jesus for your blood that makes me white as snow.

As an aside to this blog, let me direct you to a blog I read everyday. Pastor Paul Grabill of State College has a wonderful thought provoking blog www.scasssembly.blogspot.com, check it out. From time to time I may barrow his ideas or even use his posts on here. Thanks Paul for allowing me to do this.

Good Books

2006-11-29T08:10:00.000-08:00

For those of you who enjoy reading I have some recommendations for you, but if you read them please drop me a post or email about what you think. In the past month I have completed The Barbarian Way & Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus. I am currently reading Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller. What unique and challenging books for the Christian. As with any book I don't know if I fully agree with all of there points, but they do cause you to search the Word of God. Another book that I have recently completed is Joseph by Charles Swindoll. I really enjoy the dramatic flair he has put into this Great Lives from God's Word series.

So how about you? Any recommendations? By the way, if you haven't checked out our churches website www.eaassembly.org what are you waiting for. There is basic info, as well as a resource page, and you can also listen to our Sunday Service online for free or download to your ipod.

Give Thanks

2006-11-23T08:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! We are blessed to live in this great land of liberty. To be able to worship Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. I am thankful for my salvation paid for on Calvary and for my freedom paid for on the battle line by my fellow Americans. Thank you Lord for my beautiful wife, my two great kids and a wonderful family. I pray that your day will be a blessed and happy one. Give thanks to the Lord!

My Space

2006-11-17T21:49:00.000-08:00

What do you think about the My Space Craze? My son and wife both have one. Most of the youth of our church have one. They use it to witness to their friends (a lot of them anyway). What dangers do you see in it if you dont have a private page? For me blogging is a hard enough chore. So I don't know if I'll ever get a space. Then again you never know.

One of my favorite myspace friends to visit is www.myspace.com-prsspace Pastor Rich is one of the most creative (crazy) guys I know. While there be sure to visit Doug Sayers space.

Debt Free Christmas

2006-10-31T17:26:00.000-08:00

This Sunday I challenged the congregation to have a debt free Christmas. To not only put away the plastic but to cut it up. We have become so enamored with living the overindulged American life, that we have actually put ourselves, our children and our churches on the endangered species list. By endangered I mean that we have become a slave to the companies that tell us to buy now, pay later.

Along with living credit card free for two months, I challenged them to cut back on gifts for each other, gifts that really aren't necessary and are soon (next day in many cases) forgotten, and to invest in missions. Take the $3.00 away from Starbucks or $1.00 from McyDs and invest it in the building of spiritual lives for the kingdom of heaven. For most of us, in just two months, we could invest $120.00 in reaching the lost if we just cut out that coffee or pop from the convenience store.

If your trying to live debt free, here is a great sight for you. www.daveramsey.com

To Tell the Truth...or Not

2006-10-30T20:49:00.000-08:00

In a recent article by Nancy Ortberg on Christianitytoday.com, she asks this question: "Is It Ever OK to Fudge on the Facts?" Nancy gives some great biblical examples of people who lied and were actually honored for it by God (Rahab, Shiphrah and Puah, Lot). But what about the scriptures that say, "Do not lie" (Leviticus 19:11) and "The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful" (Proverbs 12:22).

Is it ok to tell a little white lie, such as, "You look nice today," when inside your thinking I can't believe you wore that outfit to church. But you don't want to hurt their feelings. Is honesty the best policy?

Survival: To media or not to media?

2006-10-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

I know more and more every day why I hate to watch and listen to the news. It is so depressing! Not only that, but it's election season and all I hear is attack ad after attack ad, and the media being biased. I like to think of myself as someone who is up to date on what is happening in the world but sometimes I wonder if it is even necessary.

I know we have an obligation and the wonderful freedom to vote in this country but sometimes (ok most of the time lately) I find that when I vote I'm just picking the lesser of the two evils. Neither the Republican or Democratic parties truly offer a candidate with my moral and Biblical values. So what's a Christian to do? I have my personal ideas but what do you think?

On a lighter note, Suzanne and I just enjoyed our favorite restaurant in St. Louis. De Palm Tree on Olive off of 170. It is Jamaican dining at it's best. Everything is made fresh when you order. None of this pre-cooked food. The jerk pork chops are the best, that is unless of course you like chicken, then the jerk chicken. Today we tried something new, they had a Friday buffet just 5 items (it's made fresh), curry chicken, black peppered white fish, beans & rice, cabbage, and salad. Unbelievable taste and quality as usual.

Cards are up 3-1 in the World Series. I won't tell you who I'm rooting for, but I can tell you this, it's the team with a former Pittsburgh Pirate on it. Enjoy the series and lets go Steelers! Because football is what really matters.

Joe Corbi's Pizza

2006-10-16T16:26:00.000-07:00

The long awaited day for the Schaffer family has arrived. Our Joe Corbi pizza kits have arrived. We have gone 3 years without a good pizza. The pizza in St. Louis is, well, I'll be kind, not to my liking. If you or your organization are looking for a good fund raiser this is the best around. It took a lot of convincing but we finally talked them into venturing out to the Mid-West. It was the best fundraiser our youth group has ever done. FYI if you want to know what their product is like before using them, just ask and they will send you some sample kits. www.joecorbi.com MMMMMM. Just had my first bite. And it hasn't changed since the last one I had 31/2 years ago.

God's Work vs. My Play

2006-10-06T21:39:00.000-07:00

When it comes to the work of the kingdom are we a bunch of cheapskates? Do we often settle for the quick, easy and cheap solutions or do we put forth the highest quality in time, talent and technology and finances? Recently a pastor friend was discouraged because he had "pumped up", (shared the heart of God to win the lost) a special offering for a community outreach. When the offering was taken a measly $223 dollars came in, less than $2.00 per individual in church that day. The next day he had the opportunity to visit a parishoner. Upon arrival at his home he noticed a brand new car in the driveway. Inside was a new wide screen plasma tv, and what appeared to be new furniture. Now here is the kicker. When the pastor was leaving the person said, "Oh, pastor I wanted to give to the outreach but didn't have my check book yesterday, could you please put this with the special offering." The pastor was encouraged that here was some one who had caught the vision to win the lost as he had, that is until he was in the car and looked at the check. $10.00.

All that to say, why do we sow into the worlds economy rather than the Lords economy? Is it all about us? or All about Him? Why will we spen $30-$90 a ticket to just get in to a Cardinals game. Then spend another $40 on food (0ver $200 for a family of 4), because hay they're a playoff team. But we wont invest $200 into winning souls for the kingdom of heaven. Well tip the waitress 15-20% but we struggle with giving God 10%. We'll be sure to get our morning coffee ($ .70 at McyDs, $3.00 at starbuck) but we fail to help the homeless person we've passed every day for the past month.

What's your thoughts. Leave a reply.

Middle Ground

2006-10-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

First Assembly East Alton has begun a new ministry aimed at those between 20 and 55. We are calling our group Middle Ground. We are kicking off the fall season with a bonfire. Just a time of fun and fellowship to get to know one another.

Kiosk Giving: Good or Bad Idea?

2006-10-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

Here's the CNN video link.
Take a swipe at it.:)

Update: Here's a print version in the LA Times.

Blog idea from www.scassembly.blogspot.com

Help Name Ministry

2006-05-01T17:42:00.000-07:00

At 1st A/G here in East Alton we have begun a new ministry for 20-55 year olds (young to middle aged adults), and we are looking for a name to call ourselves. Some suggestions have been: Middle of the Road, Up and Comers, Middle Ground, and Under the Influence (not my first choice). Any sugestions would be great.

The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything

2006-04-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

What a treat it was to go to the Pirate's vs Cardinals game at the New Bush Stadium on Monday Night. To bad the Pirates had to disappoint me once again. I think the Pirates need to adopt the Veggie Tales song "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" as their new theme song. Especially since this is the worst start in Pirate History.
I am so thankful that at least the vendors at the stadium where wearing yellow. It made it look like there was actually 50 Pirate fans instead of the 6 that I know of. Every one was bragging about their new beautiful stadium with a view of the Gateway Arch. Whoopdy Doo, boring. There is nothing like the skyline view at PNC Park.
There are some great benefits to being married to an Italian. Home made ravioli! being just one of them. Suzanne spent all day making ravioli. And I just spent 20 minutes devouring a dozen. Yum Yum! I thought she made great cakes but the ravioli has to be my favorite.
Well, we have our first church league softball game tonight at 9:30. Hopefully tomorrow we will not have our first visit to the the E.R. It's amazing how out of shape you can get over the winter. Really, I just don't want to admit that I'm getting old.
Just 10 more days till I fly to Bolivia. I'm really excited about the ministry opportunity that we will have while we are there. Just keep Suzanne and the kids in prayer while I'm gone. I have never been away for more than 3 days before.

Where Have I Been

2006-04-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

Well I know it has been awhile since my last blog. This whole blog thing is just hard to keep up on with so many other things going on in my life. But I will do a little update now for those of you that actually take the time every day to see if I have left anything.
Just 2 more weeks until I'm off for Bolivia. Praise the Lord all of my funds have been raised. The church took an offering and what came in has covered the cost of my trip. I am really looking forward to it. Please be in prayer for one of the pastors going with us, he is actually undergoing tests this week for an unknown sickness he has had the past 3 weeks. Pray that God would heal his body so that he will be able to go with us.
Thanks to some wonderful friends (Debby and Dave) from our old church in PA, I am now the proud wearer of 3 Steelers shirts. I where them with pride out here in St Louis Rams territory.
Suzanne and I on occasion have the opportunity to do some mystery shopping. We recently each had to complete 11 mystery shops of a local credit union. In doing so we often have to give a made up name when we are talking with account service reps.. Today was one of those occasions. Suzanne was in front of me waiting to meet with a rep and when they asked for her name I heard her say Schaffer, which meant that I couldn't be Mr. Schaffer for this shop. So I quickly thought, "well I guess I'll just be Mr. Johnson." So when they asked for my last name I told them Johnson. As I was sitting in the waiting area I started to think, "O boy what am I going to tell the rep when she asks what my first name is? I know, I'll just use my middle name." About 10 seconds went by and, "O no, I can't use my middle name, it's Howard." I couldn't go back there as Mr. Howard Johnson. . . . So . . . I was Tim Johnson for about 5 minutes.
I see that my Pirates are off to another great start this year. All I ask is that they win for me this Monday as me and my son will probably be the only 2 of 40,000 in black and gold in the new Bush stadium. Go Bucs! One thing I love about the Cardinals organization is that as a pastor I can apply for a season pass for two that is free. The only games I am not able to attend are games that are sold out. Which this year is more than half of their games. But I don't have to worry about any of the Pirate games being sold out. Yippy!
Well, enough for this blog. I will try to keep up a little better. At least once a week, I hope. It's the least I can do for all of you die hard blogger fans.

Shoveling Out

2006-03-21T15:20:00.000-08:00

Well, we woke up this morning to the most beautiful day we have had since we moved to the mid-west 2 years ago. We finally got some snow! Yippy! (Alton-snow) Mind you it was only three inches, but it covered and stuck to everything. The trees were absolutely beautiful. For all of my PA friends, you'll get a kick out of this, they actually canceled school today for 3 inches. I know, it makes no sense to me either. But that's ok, my kids had the privilege of enjoying their first school snow day since we left PA. (to bad there are NO HILLS around here to sled on). I did think about hooking up a rope to the back of the mini-van and pulling them along behind, but the wisdom of my wife prevailed. I just hope that I don't have to wait another two years for more snow.

Last Sunday was awesome! We had 13 teens and adults follow the Lord in baptism. We are seeing some wonderful things taking place at church. God is so faithful to those who follow him. We have seen such an increase in our youth ministry (thanks Pastor Eric and Liz and all you youth leaders) that we are having to seriously look at moving forward with building a new youth center. Just 2 years ago we were averaging 12 teens, now we are averaging over 70 teens a week. They broke the 100 mark twice last September. Our children's ministries are undergoing a bit of a make over as well. Pioneer Clubs on Wednesday nights is growing and we have had to split up one of the classes. Our Children's Church ministry is also growing. Exciting things are happening at East Alton First Assembly www.eaassembly.org.

Going to Bolivia

2006-03-13T19:26:00.000-08:00

Just cleared the way to take a missions trip to Bolivia, May 8-18. I will be going with Convoy of Hope International with coordinator Jack Belin (Belin). We are going on a Mission of Mercy trip, where we will be going into remote vilages and poor towns to distribute much needed food and supplies. We will be working with missionaries Steve and Lori Potutschnig in the distribution of the food (Potutsching)The trip itself costs $1500. But it is the goal of every one going to pay for at least $2000.00 in food to be distributed. With such short notice, my faith has just increased greatly, knowing that I will need to raise the $2000 in just 6 short weeks. However, I know that my God is able!

If any one is interested in helping to meet the need of those in Bolivia who have basically nothing, please feel free to contact me via email at schaffer@apci.net. and I will let you know how to help with this trip. It has been Ten years since my last missions trip to Jamaica, so I am really looking forward to this. Please also pray that I can get my passport ASAP!

Finally Moved

2006-02-25T16:39:00.000-08:00

Hello again everyone. Sorry for the long delay in posting, but it has been a frenzied two weeks. We finally sold our house and had to be out in 4 weeks. Plus we had to do some minor repairs to it, as well as some major repairs and fix ups (actually built a bedroom in the basement for Michael)to the church parsonage.
But everything looks great. We moved Thursday and Friday, and so now we are just unpacking and setting up rooms. What an experience. Every time I move I ask myself,"Why do I have so much stuff?" and every time I move I seem to get rid of more and more.

I know it's not just me, our society is fixated on having more. More buffets, more food selections at the buffet. More toys, more buttons, more horse-power, more stuff! What would happen if we just gave up the 80% of the stuff we don't need or even use, and instead invested in the Kingdom of heaven? Thus the answer that some of you were wondering from the start of this blog, "Why did you move?" Suzanne and I have really been challenged lately on two levels. 1st to honor God in everything! 2nd to live a debt free life. Why pay a mortgage and taxes when you can use that same money to support a missionary and the church. Why allow yourself to maintain the same debt load year after year after year, when in one year you can be 95% debt free (the car will take a couple extra months).

If you live your life (completely) for the Lord, your desire should be to please the Lord in everything, from finances to faithfulness. Our God gave His all, it's time we start giving our all! What stuff can you give up today and instead invest in the kingdom of heaven? Maybee that $1.00 soda, if you drink water and give the $1.00 to the Lord in one year you have just given $365 to the Lord. Or how about that Starbucks? Imagine what you could do for the Lord. You could almost cover a missionaries entire month of support needed if you gave to God instead of stomach and taste buds.

Well didn't meen for this to turn into a sermon, just want us to consider what level of stuff we give to God vs. Self. Keep your focus on Him!

We Got One For The Thumb

2006-02-10T22:14:00.000-08:00

Finally!!!
After waiting 16 years of my life, since I was in 6th grade, the Pittsburgh Steelers have given me the joy of celebrating their 5th Super Bowl victory! Way to go Steelers! Even though it wasn't the most entertaining of Super Bowls, and sure there were some questionable calls, but hey, a win is a win. Enjoy your retirement "Bus" you deserve it. For all of my friends and family back in PA, it sure was lonely watching the game with only one other Steeler fan (thanks Pastor Eric). Living in St.Louis doesn't afford me much black and gold material. So if any of you feel led to send me a Super Bowl champions hat or t-shirt, I wouldn't object.
Way to go steelers, way to go!

Pittsburgh's Goin to the Super Bowl

2006-01-24T16:55:00.000-08:00

O the pain of living in the mid-west and being a Steeler fan. I am certainly missing the black and gold decor. At least I have my terrible towel, Steeler's cap, t-shirt, pennant, and peanut container to keep me going. How I have longed for the day of "One for the Thumb!" Will this be the year? If the last 6 weeks are any indication of how they will play in XL Game then I'm almost certain the Bus will be painted in real gold with headlights made of diamonds.

The trick for me will be able to get through our entire Sunday evening service and make it home without hearing any score of the game. I plan on tvoing it so I can watch the beginning and then be caught up to it probably about half time. That is, unless the Spirt of the Lord is moving in our service, and in that case I would definitely sacrifice seeing the game.

Today I got an unexpected gift from three of the girls in the youth group. They decided to decorate my tamborine. They covered it in sea blue and white ribbon and beads, and wrote on the ribbons, "Go Seatle, beat Pittsburg". I told them that they would have to seriously repent for the error of their ways. And that the tamborine is no longer useful. So I'm thinking about going out or trying to find a little steeler one for Sunday morning.

Is God #1

2006-01-20T11:20:00.000-08:00

In a recent email from the Pastors Weekly Briefing (Focus On The Family) there was the following article:
Pastors vs. Congregants
Based on a representative national sample of 627 Protestant pastors across denominations, a study by the Barna Group (Barna) revealed that pastors believe on average that 70 percent of the adults in their churches view their faith as their greatest priority. However, among those who attend Protestant churches (to accurately compare Protestant pastor and congregants), the study found that less than one out of every four (23%) listed God as their highest life priority.

Those more likely to make God their number one priority include evangelicals (51%), African-Americans (38%) and adults who attend a house church (34%). The people least likely to put God first as a priority were adults under 30 years of age, residents of the Northwest and West, and those who described themselves as mostly liberal on political and social matters.

"The nation's adults deserve credit for acknowledging that God is not a top priority in their life", said Barna. "The challenge to church leaders is to stop pandering for popularity and to set the bar higher. People only live up to the expectations set for them. When the dominant expectations are that people show up, play nicely together and keep the system going, the potential for having the kinds of life-changing experiences that characterized the early Church are limited. If churches believe in the life-changing power of the gospel and the Holy Spirit, they must hold people to a higher and more challenging standard."

Where are you spiritually? Is God # 1?

Gave Blood

2006-01-19T17:47:00.000-08:00

Today we had our church blood drive, thanks to everyone who gave. Poor Pastor Eric, he was the first to take the seat in the blood withdrawal chair. I'm not sure if he got the bad seat or just has some seriously clogged up veins but it took him 30 min to fill his bad. I sat down 15 min after he started and was done in 6 min. Of course, he had to make the comment, "Thin blood, that must be why you have thinning hair." All in good fun of course.

As I sat there it really caused me to reflect on the power and life that there is in blood. With out it we die. There is a lady in our church who currently going through a difficult psychical challenge. For some reason her body is not producing blood. This caused her to pass out and almost lose her life this past week. As I visited her in the hospital she shared how they were going to probably need to give her 3 pints of blood because her body was so depleted. With out the blood transfusion she would most likely be facing difficult days. But thanks for the blood.

Thanks for the life giving blood of Jesus Christ! With out it we all would surely perish. If not for his shed blood upon the cross of Calvary there would be no hope. As Christ shed his blood on the cross he knew that someday, actually that very day it would be needed by another. He knew that you and I would be in need of that life giving blood. His blood is the blood that never looses it's power. It is just as powerful to heal and to save today as it was 2000 years ago.

If you have never given your life to the one who died and shed his blood for you, why not do it right now. Without the forgiveness of your sins by His blood, you, me, all are condemned to die and spend eternity in hell. Knowing your sins are forgiven and you are ready for heaven is as simple as the following steps:

A. Admit you have sinned.....

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8).

B. Believe in Jesus.....

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

C. Confess and leave your sin.....

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

You might want to use the following prayer as a guide:

Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I'm a sinner, and I'm sorry for my sin. Thank You for dying on the Cross for me. Please forgive me of my sin, and accept me as Your child. I desire to live for You, Jesus. Amen.

Maybe you can take the time this week or next to give blood as well.

Happy Anniversary Jamaican Style

2006-01-18T13:19:00.000-08:00

14 years, my how time flies when your having fun. Happy Anniversary Suzanne!
We just returned from the most incredible restaurant in St. Louis, De Palm Tree. If you remotely like Jamaican you'll love De Palm Tree! If your ever in St. Louis it's a must, located off of 170 and Olive. The Jerk Pork is out of this world, three extremely tender pork loins marinated and smothered in their own jerk sauce accompanied by a side of beans and rice and a side of pineapple. Suzanne had the 1/4 jerk chicken, nice and spicy.

When it comes to eating out I've got my two favorites since moving out to the Midwest: #1 definitely De Palm Tree and #2 is our local China Star restaurant right here in East Alton. So if you ever want to go to lunch or are in town visiting either one is a sure tasters satisfaction.

We finally discovered some real pizza out here. Only trouble is that we have to drive 45 minutes to Fox's Pizza in O’fallon, MO. But it's worth the drive for a Pittsburgh based pizza shop that knows what a white pizza and a wedgie are.

What are your favorite restaurants where you live?

They Tried to Steele It!

2006-01-17T14:58:00.000-08:00

Unbelievable!
I don't know about you, but for me watching the Steeler game on Sunday was a bit nerve racking. With five minutes to go and a sure interception by Troy P. the game was in the bag! So every Black and Gold fan thought. Then coming out of the commercial break something strange happened. The officials blew the call and overturned the interception. To which the NFL has admitted their fault http://www.superbowl.com/news/story/9168866 (Lot of good that would have done if the Steelers lost), but hey we're (NFL) still going to penalize Joey Porter $50,000 for speaking the truth. If that wasn't enough for us die hard fans to be fuming over, what about the heart attack we all had as the old reliable Bus (familiar to many pastor's) became unreliable. For the game with its total domination by the Steelers to come down to a field goal attempt from the most accurate kicker in the NFL, WOW! To view with anticipation as the kick was away and to see and hear, "He missed it, wide right." O the jubilation that erupted in the hearts of every black and gold fan across the globe. But wait, what would the officials come up with to give them another chance. An offsides no false start movement didn't happen not really a penalty, but we'll let'em kick it again because we feel bad for the guy call? I was waiting to come back from the break after time had expired to see both teams on the sidelines because they mismanaged the clock and found that Indy had 32 sec. left. Man am I glad it's just a game and not life! I couldn't handle that every day.

O, well. We won and it's on to Denver to then Detroit. Let's go Steelers!

"We Are" - "Penn State" and Steelers

2006-01-09T15:15:00.000-08:00

Living in the St. Louis area dosen't afford me much coverage of my two favorite teams, so it is always difficult to see or hear a game unless they are playing a local team. But this past week was awesome! The entire nation was able to witness the two greatest sports franchises in action. What a thrill when finally the Nittany Lions won the game in triple over time and then to come home Sunday night after church to watch on my DVR (greatest tech. invention since the computer) the Steelers erase the Bungels.

Now if only the Penguins and the Pirates could get their act together.

Here we go Steelers, here we go!
One for the thumb in ... how long has it been? Oh ya, 26 years. Man am I getting old.
Well, let's try this - The perfect mix for a ring in 2006.

Italy Vs. Jesus

2006-01-09T15:08:00.000-08:00

Wow. Can this be for real? I thought it was some sort of bad joke. Apparently, the "story" of Jesus' existence is in legal jeopardy. Speaking of frivolous lawsuits... Read about this zany situation in its entirety here.
What's the deal?

Yeah for the Dow, Topping 11,000 for the first time since June 2001. But what does the future hold?

Is it God or is it Racquetball?

2006-01-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

To say that our services yesterday were awesome would be an understatement. What a wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit could be felt in the place. I am so thankful for the faithfulness of God and his people.

As I was reading this morning, I came across this quote and was just wondering how some of you would respond to it. "The effectiveness of our preaching is not measured by how enamored they are with our preaching or how stellar we are in our capacity to communicate, but rather in whether or not their lives are more like Christ today than they were six months ago." Joseph M. Stowell - Shepherding the Church into the 21st Century (By the way pastors I highly recommend this book!) As pastors sometimes we struggle with knowing the effectiveness of our ministry, ie. Preaching, teaching, counseling, soul-wining, discipleship, etc. As I read this quote it stirred me to think that our
number one objective must be to see lives transformed by the gospel and not by the program.

How many churches today have great programs like softball, golf, exercise, weight loss, quilting, bowling, and the list goes on and on, but yet their people have no foundational knowledge or truth of who Christ is or what He has to say about living your life?

From the Doonesbury comic strip Comes this portrayal of today's church. The parish rector of the Little Church of Walden is discussing the focus of his church with a prospective couple.
The Pastor asks, "So what would you like to know about Little Church of Walden, folks? Don't hold back--I know how difficult it can be to choose a church."
The interested husband responds, "well, what's your basic approach here, Reverend? Is it traditional gospel?"
"In a way, I like to describe it as a 12-step Christianity. . . . Basically, I believe that we're all recovering sinners. My ministry is about overcoming denial, it's about re-commitment, about redemption. It's all in the brochure there."
The pastor's response stimulates the wife's interest, and she queries, "Wait a minute --sinners? Redemption? Doesn't all that imply . . . Guilt?"
To which the pastor responds, "Well, yes, I do rely on the occasional disincentives to keep the flock from going astray. Guilt's part of that!"
The husband responds, "I dunno. there's so much negativity in the world as it is." And his wife chimes in, "That's right. We're looking for a church that's supportive, a place where we can feel good about ourselves. I'm not sure this guilt thing works for us."
The husband observes, "On the other hand, you do offer racquetball . . ." To which his wife responds, "So did the Unitarians, honey. Let's Shop around some more." Gary B Trudeau, Doonsbury. Universal Press Syndicated, 1993

We must believe this, that, "greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4)

Church Signs

2005-12-29T16:05:00.000-08:00

Today, we put out the new letters for the church sign, "LOOKING FOR A NEW START, TRY GOD" . Other than the occasional announcement I typically put out my sermon title for the coming week. But I'm always looking for meaningful and relevant sayings for the sign.

I have gone by many a church sign in my day and have just passed scratching my head saying, "huh, I don't get it." For example:
"HELL IS HOT"
Well duh, even an idiot knows that.

"HOME IMPROVEMENT BEGINS WITH A KING JAMES BIBLE" -
Didn't know King James was the authority on family life.

"DONT LET WORRIES KILL YOU LET THE CHURCH HELP" -
Yah, that's my goal for the church, lets weed 'em all out.

"AS MY APPRENTICE YOUR NEVER FIRED - GOD"
Unless of course your name is Lucifer

"JESUS IS COMING BACK SOON, LOOK BUSY"
Ok, so we're going to trick Jesus into thinking we've been doing good works all this time. Because he hasn't been paying attention.

And my favorite red-neck church sign:
"GIT-R-DUN FUR GOD"
At least they spelled God right. (Watch out for the spit cups in the pew-back in front of you)

There are plenty more, just don't have the time or space. Let's be reasonable with our signs. They are out there for others to see and make fun of.

Fantasy Football

2005-12-24T17:56:00.000-08:00

Well it's the final weekend of our churches fantasy football league. Once again I have advanced to the Super Bowl and am attempting to defend my title, a feat I wonder whether its worth it. Growing up I was one of the most competitive people you could meet. To this day if you challenge me at anything I will give it 110% plus some, just to prove to myself that I can do it, and if a competition, that I can beat you. However, being a pastor, I wonder if at times this can cause a bit of a rift among others who don't view it as competive but as craziness.

I know that we are not to back down, lay down, or throw in the towel, but sometimes I wonder if it would be better to just not get involved. That way there are no hurt feelings when the pastor beats a church member at Fantasy Football, or when the pastor aggressively goes into home plate to win the softball game and inocently takes out the other catcher who was just in the wrong place. Over the past couple of years I have had several "light bulb" moments that have told me, next year when it comes around, just be a spectator. But then I think I can't do that because I am even a worse fan. I yell at the refs, umps, time keepers (penn state vs. michagan, 1 second-just 1 mesly second), and anyone I think has wronged my team, and those are all on TV at my house.

So what is a pastor to do? Get rid of the TV, radio and internet, lock himself in the office and wait to hear how the church softball team did on Sunday morning? I try to live my life with no regrets. I don't want to look back tomorrow, ten, thirty years and say, "I wish I would have...." or "Why on earth did I do or say that?" So for now I think I will stick to just playing Scrabble with my loving wife (she usaully wins because I am a poor speller), and Cranium with my family.

God Bless - and Merry Christmas!!!

The Joys of Giving

2005-12-21T14:34:00.000-08:00

Just got back from delivering $150.00 worth of food and house supplies to two families in our community. Neither of these families attends our churhc, however each of their teen age children does. WOW! We have so much to be thankful for! After coming away from each home I just began to thank God for his many blessings and for the wonderful opportunity to be a blessing to these families. To see the joy on the face of the teens and the parents was incredible. I am so thankful for a church family who has a desire to reach out and touch lives!

Free Lunch

2005-12-19T16:03:00.000-08:00

Today I had the opportunity to take up to 15 people out to Chilis for a free lunch. All we had to do was listen to David give us a five minute presentation on financial planning. David was true to his word, five minutes and he was done, paid for our meal and left. O, did I mention he left with all our phone numbers and addresses. That's Ok, we had a great free meal. And O ya, I took my church staff and inlaws who are here from Pittsburgh.

Is it possible for the poor to have more gifts to open at Christmas than the average person? If you would have asked me that before I became a pastor I would have said, "No way!" However, I have come to discover in delivering some packages to some "needy" people in the community that their children will have twice as many if not three times as many gifts to open than my children will. They sure did a good job of calling every church in the community. Thankfully God gave me the wisdom to tell them we would deliver the gifts. When I went to the door, I went empty handed just to see the true situation. I was then able to see the floor under the tree covered with gifts. So I went back to the car and picked out two small gifts (one for each child), and left the other eight to give to someone else, and gave them to the family.

Don't get me wrong, I love to help and am probably one of the biggest softies in the world. But, you better not be taking advantage of my church family. They work very hard and are very generous to give! We must be good stewards not just as individuals but as a church as well.