Monthly Archives: January 2012

Yesterday I sat with other “senior pastors.”  Some have been in ministry for four decades.  The rest of us have at least two or three decades of ministry in hand.

One of the elders talked about the high rate of dropout in the pastoral vocation.  Another talked about burnout.  By 40 most pastor’s have realized that you can’t get by on programs or fads. 

And most of us have tried the “next thing.”  Not out of malicious intent.  If anything this movement is towards the best for our churches and the best for Christian life.

Not that it always helps!

The truth is – unless we begin with intimacy with Christ – we end up with the lesser instead of the best. 

That’s was the discussion around the table.  We came to the reminder for all of us – remember to live with Christ in us.  That means setting aside our own interests and seeking Jesus Only.   Sounds like slogans, but the longer I live the more I realize there is a reason slogans last!!

Today I’m digitizing the voices of children when they were much younger.  Put into simple terms – I’m putting a tape onto a CD/mp3. 

What fun to hear words being newly pronounced, and high pitches in voices.  Knowing the kids at their current age, their voices and vocabularies have certainly matured.

I wonder how people look at me some times.  I’m currently in living in my birthplace.  There are people that I encounter on Sunday mornings who probably saw me when I was just newly home from the hospital, still in diapers.  Half a century later, they still see me.

But what do they see?

I suppose they see an older man – but sometimes I wonder if, for them, there is still the image of a baby in the midst of the baritone voice of an adult.  And is that such a bad thing? 

Walmart is our local “photograph development center.”  In other words, a town of 5,000 depends on one store to provide photo quality enlargements and other varied photograph needs.

A few years ago two other stores in town were in the running.  Both ran out of steam.

Today I headed over to the Walmart to get some wallet size photos of our family.  The pictures would serve for viewing with friends and neighbours when we got together.  But, I was completely ignorant of how to go about this.

Thankfully, Shannon was there.  As the employee overseeing picture lab information, she kindly showed me how.  Merely use the “collage” tab.

Now, I have become used to this whole idea of finding the access point to get into greater depth.  I clicked and clicked and ended up with great wallet pictures.  Only a single loonie!!

So, feel free to come and visit.  I’ll show you our family portrait.  As we did tonight with friends from Melfort.  The foray into ignorance has had a good ending!!

Well, today we got word.  My brother is in hospital.  He had problems with standing, and has had some weakness on his left side.  CAT scans show nothing but he will continue in hospital for observation.  Perhaps a small stroke?  Not sure.

Before Christmas my sister had an operation for cancer and will be undertaking preventative chemo treatments.  She is doing well, but the looming hand of ill health is always at the door.

Which reminds me that, for all of life that surrounds us, and all of death that sits on the edges . . . we do have an unbelievable horizon.  When Jesus rose from the dead he spoke into the darkness.  Death has no sting, grave has no victory.  But even before we reach that beginning with no ending, there is life in the midst of life here and now.  So, regardless of our age or physical condition, we can know life.

The portal to this wide open life?  It all comes down to Jesus!

Thank God for his immeasurable gift.