my work

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A Little More Silence, Please!

When I’m studying for a message, the conditions have to be just right.  I wish I was one of those people who could study in any environment – you know, with noise all around, people talking, radio playing, TV blaring – yet seem to be in a quiet zone in their head.

I’ve heard of pastors who study in coffee shops.  That would never work for me … I don’t drink coffee.  Actually, the main reason is I’d get nothing done.  All it would take is for me to look up from my computer and see someone at the counter and I would be distracted.  I’d start wondering what he did for a living, be fascinated at why she picked out that particular outfit, or create a scenario in my mind about that person’s day so far.  Then I would look back at my computer and realize I had drifted from my work for about ten minutes.

What I need is quiet, with as few distractions as possible.  I’ve been known to get distracted by something as small as a piece of lint floating past my computer screen.  If I hear others talking, I want to be part of the conversation.  It takes all my will power not to get up and go and join them.

I have to be in a quiet mood to study, like early in the morning.  It’s then that my mind is not filled with competing thoughts, and tasks.  I can focus on what I’m doing and nothing else.  That’s why I get up early and do my devotions.  It’s quieter in the morning and my mind is quieter.

When that mood gets disrupted, however, it’s game over for me; I might as well pack it in.  My efforts will be wasted, my productivity will plummet, and I’ll start to get all frustrated.  Friday was like that because I had a doctor’s appointment at 9:45 am.

(Oh, I didn’t mention, Friday is the day I finalize my sermon.  If I don’t get it done on Friday, I’ll be working on it on Saturday, my day off … and my wife Lily is not a fan of that!)

When I returned to work after my appointment, the church was a zoo.  Teens were arriving for a youth event on their PA day (I wish I got a few PA days).  It was noisy and distracting, with people in my office, and teens talking, yelling, and running outside my office.  It’s not that I mind it when all that happens.  I like the interaction; I like all the action; I just don’t get anything done.  I thought maybe I should just pack up and go on the “Amazing Race” youth event with them.

They left – finally – and it was quiet, except for my mind – it was racing.  I got back to my sermon but it was slow going after that.  It was past dinner time, when I gave up, packed it in and decided to finish in the morning.

Here’s the thing:  There are so many competing thoughts, appointments, conversations, details, tasks in our day, that it’s difficult to find time to focus on God.  Sometimes it’s best to pack it in and try again tomorrow.  What would be optimal is finding, or rather carving out, some time in your day when you and God will not have to compete with other things.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question:  When do you find is the best time to be quiet with God?

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Why Can’t We Be More Agreeable?

This week I attended our denominational meetings in Winnipeg. I look forward to these conferences every two years, and came with great expectation for the week.  But soon after settling into the business sessions, I remembered why I also get frustrated with these meetings.  It all comes down to decision-making … we take forever to make a decision!

There are parts of Assembly I thoroughly enjoy.  The public services always inspire and challenge me and that’s good for my soul.  It’s also great to catch up with old friends, some I haven’t seen in years.  I even met up with a few former students from when I was a youth pastor.  To see them grown up with families and established careers is fantastic.  That part of Assembly is great.

But one of the main reasons we come to Assembly is to make decisions, and that’s where we get bogged down every time.  This year a motion was put to Assembly, and when someone didn’t like it, he tried to change it.  In doing so, he actually made it into another motion and we had to temporarily divert our discussion on it before we got back to the original motion.  It was a wrong turn that wasted half an hour going down the wrong road, only to have to come back to the right road and start again.

There are also delegates who are incredibly nit picky.  Some don’t like the smallest of words, like the word “it” or “a” for instance.  I’m always amazed how long people can talk about the appropriateness of such little words and be so passionate about them.  Personally, I use the word “the” a million times a day and never think about how I’ve used it.  At Assembly, however, any word is up for debate, and a LONG debate.

Then there are those who feel they need to speak at the mic on every motion, and even after several people have already expressed the same thought.  Of course, they think they bring a new view or understanding, but it’s all a rehash of the same thoughts.  I wish we had a system where people could “like” a comment in the way one can on Facebook.  That would greatly streamline things.  When a comment is made, people could just register their “like” by hitting a button on their digital device.  We could plow through reams of legislation that way.

But whom am I kidding?  People want to have their say; they like to hear themselves talk; they’re delusional, thinking their point is going to change everyone’s mind.  So they keep coming to the mic. … and my frustration with the painful process of decision-making continues.

Here’s the thing:  God has put motions before us – actually, commands for us to follow. And, instead of agreeing with (voting for) his commands and putting them into practice, we act like Assembly delegates.  We try to change or tweak God’s commands to better agree with us.  We want to massage some nuance of the command so it is a little more palatable.   We try to make an argument for our position of not following a particular command.

I think it’s got to frustrate God like Assembly frustrates me.  If we would only vote “yes” to God’s commands, maybe life would be more enjoyable for us.  We’d dispense with much of the frustration.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question:  How have you tried to change or resist God’s commands? Leave your comment below.

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Amazing Grace

Let me give you a little insight into my world. Grace is big in a pastor’s life. Most people think pastors are official grace givers at any event.  At dinner, about 98 percent of the time, people will look to the pastor to say grace.  At wedding receptions, banquets, barbecues, family gatherings, dinner out with friends, anywhere food is being served, probably the pastor will be asked to say grace.

Sometimes I can see the whole thing unfold. Just before the meal the host will scan the room.  At this point, I can read their mind: they’re thinking, “Whom can I get to say grace?”  Then they spot me, their eyes get big, the expression on their face changes from concern to relief, a smile appears, and then the head nod that says, “ah yes, the pastor. Why didn’t I think of him before?” Then they make a b-line to me.

Actually, I count it an honour to say grace in public.  A few years ago my old high school celebrated its 50th anniversary (not that I was in high school 50 years ago). I received a phone call asking if I was planning on attending, and if so, would I say grace at the gala dinner banquet.  Based on their knowledge of me in high school, they would never have asked me, but now that I’m a pastor, saying the grace was a perfect job for me.

 There are some people who think the pastor has a corner on grace and not just saying it.  I’ve had many people ask me to put in a good word for them with the “Big Guy”. There have been times where people have made a comment like, “well, you know, he has God on his side.” I could go on, but you get the idea:  people think pastors are grace sayers and grace receivers.

The other day I had something different happen.  We were at our trailer, opening it up for the year, and a neighbour who heard I had had a heart attack said to me, “You having a heart attack? You have to wonder about that.”  He said it as if he didn’t think bad things happened to pastors, or he was questioning what I did to get God mad at me. It’s even possible he was thinking that my heart attack proved there is no God.

That bothered me because usually people see pastors as being on the good side of grace. I wanted to say, “Wait a minute!  The fact that I’m still here, standing and breathing is a sign I’m on the good side of grace.”  But the opportunity didn’t arise at that moment.

Grace is an amazing thing. It can be spoken as a thanks to God, it can be used as a name (I have a niece named Grace).  It can be given, as undeserved favour, and it can be withheld as punishment or, at the very least, as being uncaring.

But the real amazing thing about grace is that we are ALL on the good side of grace.  God sent Jesus, His only son, to us as an instrument of grace.  What we need to do is make sure we have received God’s grace by believing in Jesus and claiming him as Lord … and then, live out our days knowing that nothing we have done, said, thought or contributed has any merit towards us being recipients of God’s grace. It is God’s unmerited favour on us.  That is truly amazing!

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

What ways do you see the grace of God showing up in your life?  Leave a comment below.