The Work Has Begun!

As you can see, the oldest man in the church is doing what he does best--working--while at the same time doing what he loves most--serving His Lord (to use his own words!).

As you can see, he has his favorite sidekick with him, his grandson, Bucky, who only wishes he could keep up with his granddaddy.

At any rate, they "pressure washed" most of the building and removed that gorgeous green plant that decorated the front door! When the washing is finished, he plans to install a white fence that will hide the AC units!

Just for the record, I not only included a picture of the "work crew," but also a picture of Ralph's burned hand (for some reason, he applied it to the manifold of the pressure washer but it did not take him long to remove it!).

Just keeping you up-to-date!
Your Pastor

God Really Does Answer Prayer!

I feel sure that after today's sermon you all well-aware of my praying skills; Yea, right, or go figure, or something similar! I am learning, so stop being so hard on me!

Anyway, I am REALLY thankful that God answered our prayers concerning Data Whitehead; this dear lady has been sick and I mean SICK! In the first place, she is too old to be that sick; in the second place, we love her too much for her to be that sick; and finally Ralph ain't much on cookin' and cleanin', so she ain't got time to be that sick!

Thankfully, she ain't that sick anymore!! Hallelujah!! It was so good to see her in church today, lookin' and talkin' like her old self (no pun intended!).

Now, don't EVER tell me that God doesn't answer our prayers because we all have clear evidence that He does!!

Love with grace sprinkled all over,
Your Pastor

Sunday is Here Again!!

Can you believe it? Another week has come and gone! Even so, we gather tomorrow at 10:00 AM to worship Him, whom to know is eternal life! What an incredible privilege!

I will be preaching/teaching/wondering about prayer, so pray!!

Looking forward to seeing you then!

Your Pastor

Prayer Matters: It Reallly Does!

I am writing this just prior to our Wednesday night prayer time and I am doing so with somewhat of a heavy heart. As I trust you remember, several weeks ago, I told you that I believed the Holy Spirit was calling us to prayer--not to learn how to pray or when to pray but to pray. As a result, I chose to set aside our Wednesday nights as a time of prayer but for some reason the response has been meager, at best (that statement is NOT meant to diminish my appreciation for those who have faithfully participated, not in the least!).

To be honest, I really do not know why this lack of interest makes my heart heavy; after all, I have seen very few times in my entire life as a Christian, when God's people were drawn to prayer, other than those times when they were in some kind of crisis. Even so, my heart is heavy and it is so because I really do believe that God called us to prayer.

Yes, I know that you can pray anywhere, and I really do believe that you can, but I do not think that is what God had in mind--a part of it maybe, but not the major part. You see, there is something very powerful about God's people praying together, probably more powerful than any of us realize. We are the body of Christ and, yes, we are scattered all over the world BUT there is something very special about our coming together, regardless of the reason but, especially, to pray. There is some kind of spiritual "electricity" for lack of a better word that permeates the room and energies the participants.

Anyway, I think you know that I am NOT about guilt, certainly not about heaping it upon anyone; however, I am about reminding you that God called us to prayer and I have set aside Wednesday nights for that purpose.

If you cannot make it, please stop whatever you might be doing and pray for this part of the Body of Christ; you will be glad you did!

Much love,
Your Pastor

Flip Flops, Tattoos, Margaritas, and Butterflies

I first penned (and spoke) the following words on August 14, 2005, just as Annie was leaving us to pursue her graduate degree at Mars Hill Grad School in Seattle, Washington. I gave my little "diddy" the title you see above. My "diddy" went something like this:

When I think of Annie I think of "flip flops" and I do because I have seen her only two or three times when she was wearing shoes, and those were short-lived. I mean she wears "flip flops" to weddings, to funerals, even to Presidential inaugurations; not just to the beach! At any rate, I never dreamed that I would have a staff member, who wore "flip flops" even to baby dedications!

I will never forget her trip (for which the church paid good money, I might add) to NC to attend one of Mike Yaconelli's conferences. She called me just as she was leaving a tattoo parlor--walking from the wrong side of the tracks back to downtown Raleigh. Of course, at that point I was more concerned about her safety than her tattoo! At any rate, I never dreamed that I would have a staff member with a tattoo on her behind!

From what I can tell, Annie was born addicted to Margaritas; to say the least, she loves 'em and loves 'em lots! I mean she will down a top shelf Margarita anywhere and anytime--infant baptisms, dental visits, even at Yaconelli conferences! At any rate, I never, ever dreamed (even in my wildest dreams) that I would have a youth pastor/children's leader/worship leader/secretary, who was addicted to Margaritas! Go figure!!

To be sure, Annie always reminds me of butterflies and she does so because, well, because she is a butterfly--almost, anyway! Everyone knows that she is every-bit as colorful and every bit as prissy and every bit as beautiful and every bit as free as a Monarch!

I well-remember one of Mike Yaconelli's articles in which he characterized his church as the growing-est church in the country, having grown from 110 all the way to 25! Well, to be sure Annie and Mike have something in common: her youth's and children's ministry is the growing-est in the country, as well, having grown from 25 to, well, let's just say they have something in common.

Truth is it never concerned Yaconelli but it did concern Annie, so I tried to help her to understand that the effectiveness of ministry is not measured in numbers of people but in quality of life--spiritual life. For some reason, she caught on quickly because it wasn't long before her ministry "found itself"--"flip flops," tattoos, Margaritas, and butterflies in the bars, ghettos, and tattoo parlors from Savannah to Atlanta and from Macon to Rome. And quite frankly, I loved it because she was beginning to become who she was created to be!

Yes, I feel sure that many significant others had different ideas for Annie but the fact is she was finally spreading her wings--flitting around like a butterfly, doing what she was born to do--touch sinful lives with the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ!

I likened Annie to a butterfly for the several reasons I have already mentioned but also for this one: a butterfly must first be a caterpillar, who fights her way to the freedom that butterflies were created to enjoy.

In a short while this flip-floppin', tattoo bearing, Margarita loving butterfly will flit off and away from us to pursue her higher education--to learn more about who she was created to be and to learn to embrace even more tightly the freedom that brings.

One final comment, most of this will probably be learned outside the classroom and in the school of hard knocks but isn't this true for each of us!

Anyway, I just wanted to remind you that it is the end of the month and we want to provide as much as we can for Annie's support!

I really do love this girl and I am very proud of her and just think: in a very short while, there will be two of 'em! WOW!

Love,
Your Pastor

Sunday Came and Went!

In an earlier blog, I reminded you that it was Friday and Sunday was coming; well, it did, just as I predicted (maybe that means I am a prophet and don't know it!). Anyway, in my humble opinion, today's service was quite wonderful!

If you remember, I shared several of my prayer requests with you: (1) that He would manifest His Presence in a very special way in our service this Sunday; (2) that He would motivate visitors to attend this service, especially those who are hungry for Jesus; (3) that He would motivate YOU to attend this service; (3) that our time of worship would be a sweet-smelling fragrance of Jesus to His nostrils; (4) that His Word would feed and nourish those who attend; (5) that He would provide financially; and (6) that He would use our celebration of the Eucharist to empower us to be His witnesses, as we make our way through another week. Five out of six ain't too bad, at least from my perspective!

For reasons beyond me, He didn't motivate any visitors to attend today, but as to the rest--WOW! I really am glad I was able to attend today and I trust that you are, as well!

It is becoming increasingly evident that John Purnhagen is right where the Lord wants him to be and I am very thankful that he is! Continue to pray for John, as the Holy Spirit uses him to minister to us, and pray, especially, that He will use us to minister to him.

By the way, I enclosed the attached picture so you could know how hard I work in my yard!

Much love,
Your Pastor

It is Friday and Sunday is Coming!

As I begin to write this, it is 3:45 PM on Friday afternoon, and I just finished praying for our forthcoming Sunday service; well, let me rephrase that: I just prayed for our forthcoming Sunday service.

Anyway, at this moment I really wish I knew how to pray "according to His will" regarding our service but sometimes knowing His will is not easy, at least it is not for me. There are many things I desire but my desiring them does not mean that He desires them for me, and that for good reason.

Yes, I know that the Holy Spirit intercedes for me according to God's will, and I take great comfort in that. The truth is were it not for that knowledge, I would stop praying--today.

Do you ever wonder if we will ever get to the place where we can pray on our own according to His will? Do you think it possible to live in such intimacy with Him, that even the Holy Spirit is astonished at the accuracy of our prayers? Do you ever get up from a prayer thinking that you actually prayed according to His will, or do you, like I, wonder if you even came close?

For reasons that are probably obvious to most of you, I often wonder how much of what I am asking Him for is asked out of my own selfishness. Most of the time, my prayers would probably sound unselfish to others but I know my own motives--sometimes.

Anyway, these are the items that were on my "prayer list" this afternoon: that He would manifest His Presence in a very special way in our service this Sunday; that He would motivate visitors to attend this service, especially those who are hungry for Jesus; that He would motivate YOU to attend this service; that our time of worship would be a sweet-smelling fragrance of Jesus to His nostrils; that His Word would feed and nourish those who attend; that He would provide financially; and that He would use our celebration of the Eucharist to empower us to be His witnesses, as we make our way through another week.

Just thought you would want to know!

Love,
Your Pastor

A Special Prayer Request

Dudley Bluhm told us about this tonight at LEFTOVERS:

I just found out that my cousin's son, Brian, who I haven't seen in years, was one of the victims in the VTECH shootings. My cousin’s name is Dennis. Please keep him & his family in your prayers. Dennis's parents are in a nursing home & will not be able to attend the funeral, which will most likely be in Michigan. We truly are promised only one day at a time & cannot take those around us for granted. Thanks again for your prayers for Dennis & his family.

Please remember this family in your prayers!

Thanks!

Your Pastor

Sanctified in the Truth

For more years than I can remember, I have read and studied the Bible and I have done so for three specific reasons: (1) to know Him, whom to know is eternal life; (2) to prepare to teach and to preach; (3) to glean wisdom.

Roughly 60 years have come and gone, since He sought me out and gave me life. Soon, thereafter, His Word became the passion of my life and except for brief intervals, when I was required to pursue other studies, therein has been my focus.

I say that to say this: one would think that I would have a pretty good understanding of His Word by now but that is not the case. In fact, what I am finding is this: the clearer the picture becomes, the greater my confusion. Go figure!

Had my study been physics, I would, certainly, be an accomplished physicist by now; had it been mathematics, I would, surely, be an accomplished mathematician by now; had it been medicine, I would, definitely, be a skilled physician by now--but it has, instead, been theology, and I certainly, surely, and definitely, have not arrived to any level of expertise! I am still on the journey to know Him, whom to know is eternal life, still looking through a glass darkly, and still wondering if I will ever (this side of Heaven) see anything clearly.

I have learned this: be careful what you cast into cement because breaking it up is very difficult, and you will have to do so (in all probability!).

Love,
Your Pastor

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce you to . . .

As I promised, the pictures of Syd's newest granddaughter, Catherine Leigh Popp, are now available for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Depravity!

It is not difficult, it is impossible for me to even imagine how anyone could kill 30+ innocent people. How could anyone become so disoriented, so psychotic, so whatever, as to single-handedly carry out the worst massacre ever on a US college campus? It is simply incomprehensible, at least to most of us; however, even a casual reading of the Scriptures will give us much insight: "Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, . . ." (Romans 1:24a); "There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one . . . destruction and misery are in their paths . . . there is no fear of God before their eyes" (Romans 3:10a-12, 16, 18).

Man is depraved--really, seriously, depraved--make no mistake about it! Man is in desperate need of a Savior--really, seriously, in need of Him--make no mistake about it! The church can continue on with its foolishness, futilely attempting to "fix" man with its various programs, but I am telling you that man is in need of a Savior--The Savior!

I have tried to warn you over and over, but it is as if no one is listening! Hear me now: what happened at Virginia Tech could easily become commonplace--very easily! Folk, we have an enemy and he has a mission and a purpose, neither of which are noble--to steal, to kill, and to destroy! To be sure, he can do nothing but what God permits him to do, BUT when God removes His hand and turns a nation over in the lusts of its heart to impurity, he (the enemy) is permitted to wreak havoc!

Take a close look at the young man in this picture; he is Cho Seung-Hui, the 23 year old, who maliciously took the lives of over 30 innocent people and injured who know how many more. Take a closer look: he is some mother's son; some father's son. Who knows what his past has been like, what he has experienced. Truthfully, it doesn't really matter because his past was not his problem. Oh, I am sure the enemy used his past against him, but his past was not his problem. His problem was much larger than his past and you can count on that.

For all I know, he was a "committed" Christian, who attended church every Sunday, read through the Bible every 90 days, could recite Psalm 119, and was baptized in the Jordan river, but his past was not his problem, nor did his practice of religion serve him very well.

On the other hand, he might have been a "committed" Buddhist, who did with fervor whatever Buddhists do, but his past was not his problem, nor did his practice of religion serve him very well.

This was his problem: God permitted Satan to use him to demonstrate the horrendous, malicious, depravity of man, and, I might add, this wasn't the first time God had done such a thing (read the Bible and you will find plenty of examples), nor will it be His last. The truth is this: we haven't seen anything yet! This is only a taste of what is to come (I want to say "unless this nation turns to God" but I know that that isn't going to happen) and we need to get over our religion and our religious practices and face the fact that we have been called to live in intimacy with Jesus, not in some sterile bubble, but in the w-o-r-l-d, the world in which the enemy truly believes that he rules and reigns.

"Cast all of your cares upon Him because He cares for you"!!

Your Pastor

Happy Birthday--Again!!

There is nothing quite like celebrating one's birthday, unless it is celebrating it again! Tonight, John Akacki took Annis & me out for dinner to celebrate my birthday, a promise he made to me the day before my 65th birthday. Trying to get our schedules to work was a task, but tonight was the night! Good friends always make for good fellowship; couple that with good food, and you have an incredible mix!

I know we all live busy lives--too busy--but I really do hope you are taking time to live, as you make your one-and-only journey through this life. How long has it been since you sat down with some friends to share food and fellowship? Have you been meaning to do it but just haven't made it happen? Please let me encourage you to do so and to do so--soon! I am willing to bet there there are some folk who would love not only the invite but also (and especially) the privilege of experiencing an evening with you.

By the way, take a look at the picture and see if you can guess where we had dinner!

Just a reminder from your pastor!

Sunday's Service

Yes, it was somewhat cool and a bit windy, even wet; nevertheless, we gathered and worshiped and it was good--very good. My message from John 17 was probably a bit different from what you might have heard in the past from that passage; to be honest, it was very fresh truth for me.

I find it very encouraging to know that even Jesus had times of anxiety, times when, having done everything He could do concerning some particular situation, He went to His Father in prayer. I find it especially encouraging to know that is really does care for us, so much so that He prayed for us!

Take a few minutes to reflect of the specifics of His prayer for us (you have them from your notes yesterday) and then "cast all of your cares upon Him" for He really does care for you, which at this point should be very obvious.

Your Pastor

A Bad Weather Night

From all indications, we will have some "bad" weather tonight--mostly rain and wind, with the possibility of hail, even a tornado. Even a casual look at the radar makes one want to stay inside tonight--dry and safe. We have all seen enough of the devastation "bad" weather can bring to know that it is wise to be prudent regarding the warnings we hear.

I find it a bit strange, however, that so many ignore the ancient, yet ever present, warnings that God has given to us in and through His Word regarding the devastation that will come upon those who disregard them.

As I write this, I can hear the rustle of leaves in my front yard and the rumble of thunder in the distance, and I feel confident that most of my neighbors are inside their safe houses for the night; however, I must wonder if anyone is hearing the "rustle of leaves and the rumble of thunder" as God prepares to send His Son for His Bride. I also wonder how many of God's children realize that Jesus is their "safe house" and are, therefore, consciously abiding in Him.

We gather together tomorrow morning to worship and I really hope to see you then. I am expecting Him to visit us and prove Himself strong!

Your Pastor

Kevin, You de Man!!!

Our 'Tee' time was 8:00 AM on hole #5 at Healy Point and we (Dudley Bluhm, Aaron Burrough, Kevin Daniel, and yours truly) were on time and eager to play the great game of golf--a four man scramble! Just for your information, Aaron is Debbie Bluhm's son, and we found out today that his Mom is the greatest Mom on earth. How did we find out? He told us and made no bones about it!

Actually, the tourney was a fund raiser for the Museum of Aviation, for which our own Dudley Bluhm is the main-most-man, well almost, anyway. It is my understanding that this tourney raised over $100,000, which ain't bad by anyone's standards! The really good news is this: Kevin, Aaron, and I were guests and that means that it didn't cost us a cent--talk about grace! To top it off, we had a scrumptious lunch following our round, which will be followed by another fine mean tonight. Annis & I will join Debbie & Dudley for an incredible evening of, you guessed it--EATING! Wow! I can hardley wait!

For the record and for your viewing pleasure, I have enclosed the above pictures--ENJOY!

Oh, yes--Kevin, he is de man! I mean he even made a long putt, even a terrific drive or two; truth is, we used his ball several times! I am afraid that he might quit counseling and start playing golf! Of course, I also noticed that he ain't too bad at eating, either.

Your loving pastor!

Karen Purnhagen's Great News!

The following is a copy of the email I received from Karen regarding today's visit to the Doc and in my humble opinion it is an answer to prayer and, I might add, it is incredibly good news:

Hi all,

The doctor says things are going along very well. There should be no need for chemo or radiation, just the simple surgery to increase the clean margin, which he expects to be done with a local anesthetic in about 20 minutes. The fact that the area is hurting is very good news and will probably get better as time goes on and the nerves calm down. He will do the surgery in around 3 weeks to allow more healing, and since 2 weeks I already have appointments for other doctors.

I'm getting used to the idea and he did give me a Rx for valium, if I get too nervous the day of the surgery, but after talking with him, I think it will be fine without it.

I'll let you know the surgery date when I find out.

Karen

HALLELUJAH is what I want to say about that!!
Love,
Your Pastor

Is A Spring Work Day Needed?

Sometimes the obvious is so obvious that we miss it, or maybe it is that we no longer see what we see so often; in either case, I am wondering if a Spring work day might beneficial. I am offering some pictures of the "beauty spots" around the GCF building for your perusal. Hopefully, you will be willing to take one of them and improve it somewhat. Remember, we might not notice them but rest assured that our visitors do; in fact, it is their FIRST impression of us! Anyway, feel free to come on out and improve the looks of your chosen "beauty spot." I promise not to tell anyone that you did it!!

The Evidence!

There can be no mistaking it because the evidence is in--Syd is about to be a grandmother for the fourth time! If she shows up missing anytime soon, not to worry, as she will be busy "grandmothering" and "mothering," even mother-in-lawing"! I am guessing but I would bet money that Rick would pay her big bucks to drive on up NOW! What in the world is he going to do with two children at 2:00 AM, when Leigh says, "It is time to go--now!"? Heavens, now that I have seen Leigh's picture, I am surprised that he hasn't already sent a limo for Syd!

Anyway, just thought you would want to know!

Much love,
Your Pastor

Home Again!

The older I become, the more I realize that true friends (the ones who travel the distance) are few and far between; consequently, I am purposing to spend as much time as possible with the few I have. Yes, I still love to make new friends but I must admit that I am a bit (well, more than a bit) doubtful about the longevity of the relationship; if you will be honest, you will probably admit that the same is true for you. Anyway, Annis and I spent this past week with several true friends and we had an incredible time playing golf (the men), eating (both), and shopping (mostly the women). I told them we could sleep after we are dead, so we tried to enjoy as many waking hours as we possibly could. One night, I fried 3 1/2 pounds of fresh, local shrimp and five pieces of fresh fish, and we almost ate every piece of it. As you might imagine, with that many shrimp and fish swimming around in one's stomach, staying awake that night was rather easy.

If you would like, you can meet these friends (at least the men) in the attached picture: (l-r) Jack Faniola; Brer Russell; Phil Bumpus; and, well, I think you will recognize the one on the far right; the hat should be a dead give away.) Anyway, Jack (a retired dentist from Connecticut) is a relatively new friend, especially in light of the length of time I have known Brer and Phil, but a true friend non-the-less; Brer (a retired Pharmacist) and I grew up together in Reynolds (if we ever grew up), so we are lifetime friends; and I met Phil (a now-retired Pharmacist) in 1960, when I began my Freshman year at Asbury College in Wilmore, KY. Of the four, I am the only one who is not retired--go figure!

Anyway, I want to encourage you to nurture your true friendships, even if it means traveling from Missouri or Connecticut or the South Pole. When you get right down to it, they are priceless and more-than-worthy of being nurtured. All I can tell you is this: when we are together, life is easy and we have fun!

Just thought you would want to know!

Much love,
Your Pastor