Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005

For our upcoming Men's Retreat. This is what we are in search of.

Anticipation and Excitement

The other night we came home from the staff Christmas party where we had one of those white elephant gift exchanges. It was a fun time. We laughed a lot. Well, you know how fun gift exchanges can be. At first I ended up with a small ceramic painted cow. At the very end I was able to exchange the painted ceramic cow for a dog toy. This was great news for our dog Sully. He just loves dog toys. He has several toys that are made of rubber and squeak, but he loves stuffed toys. Upon getting a new one he carries it around for days. Showing it to all of us, then he will sit down and un-stuff it. But what is so cool is how excited he gets about a new toy. He also somehow knows that it is for him. I did not even get the toy out of the bag and he knew there was a toy for him in it. Upon getting the toy he truly celebrated. It is such a simple thing. He knows that it is for him and he gets so excited.
As I travel though the Advent season I just wish I would be filled with anticipation and excitement. I wish I had as much anticipation and excitement as my dog has about a simple little stuffed toy. To be filled with genuine excitement about Christ’s coming is such a blessing; yet, the cares of this world try to crowd Him out. Shopping to do, parties to go to, yearend reports. You know the drill. And it seems that is what Christmas becomes, a drill. So all joy and anticipation is drained, and we put our heads down and hold our breath until it is all over—or maybe it is just me.
The early church fathers point to spiritual growth coming from re-examination. That is why we have the church calendar. So we can circle back to the important. Worship to the Hebrew people was about remembrance. They worshiped by remembering the mighty acts of God. But it was more than just a remembrance as in what happened many years ago. It is a remembering and a connection to what God is doing today. When I consider that my remembering includes God’s acts today, I get excited. I get filled with anticipation as to what God will do next. I need to remember.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Luke 2:8-11)

I'm Not Cool - Scott Krippayne

Laying down to Pick Up

It occurs to me that there is only so much that I can carry. It is in human nature to carry all that we can. In fact I often carry too much. Too much to do, too many tasks, too many agendas, too many worries, too many… It is just how I seem to work. In the carrying of all of these things I am often not in the moment. I am focused on the tasks ahead. I remain often worried that I will leave something important behind.
So I can walk into worship with the same attitude. What can I take away from worship today? A new tidbit, a sweet morsel of truth, a moving experience with God, but the reality is I have trouble being in the moment. I am so loaded with stuff on my plate I cannot possibly carry one more thing. In fact I cannot even focus on the moment. So as I consider the question, “What did I get out of that service?” I hear a better question, “What can I lose in this service?” As I approach the foot of the cross I need to ask, what burden can I lay down, and what portion of my agenda needs to be abandoned. What grudge can I release? What pang of envy resides in the corner of my heart? What hurt can I lay down? What anger needs to be released? What insecurity drives my needs?
I finally approach the altar with a simple prayer. “O Lord, make in me a pure heart.” It hits me that I can not carry anything away from worship unless I am willing to lay something down first, because my arms are full. I am so loaded that I cannot carry one thing more. Full of all the wrong stuff and Jesus says to me “lay that stuff down here before me and I will take care of it. Be willing to leave empty and I will meet you on the road. I will meet you and you can live in the moment” Once I lay down these burdens I finally have clear eyes to see. I have an unburdened heart so that I can hear.
It reminds me of when Jesus is teaching the people and he tells them. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt 11:28-30).
My own rest depends on my willingness to lay down my burdens before Christ. Christ is not an uninvited guest who will wrestle away from us our burdens. He actually reminds us of what is important. He touches us in the midst of our unknown brokenness and asks us “will you be healed?” So if we say, “Yes” and lay down our burdens, we become able to bear witness to the world. We leave worship unburdened and able to liven in the moment ready to be Christ to a hurting world.

Pride

How I want to be released from pride! There for a while I thought by grace I had been fully released from my pride. The kind of pride I am speaking of is a false pride that confines me to being miserable. Pride is the self-centered way of being that blinds me to what is happening around me. It creeps in and then I look around to find I have lost perspective of the grace poured out on me.
I have several friends who write BLOGs. Many of them write on theology. I was reading one this past week on Orthodoxy. That is, literally, right thinking or right teaching. (A quick Latin lesson: ortho being right and doxy being teaching, or thinking). My friend rightly points out the importance of right teaching. It is critical. Yet the danger lies in what Paul points to in 1Corintians 8:1. “Knowledge puff up but love builds up.” For the longest time I thought that this verse meant that love builds up the other person, but now I am not so sure. I believe that love builds us up every bit as much, if not more, than the person we love.
This brings me to the idea of orthopraxis. Ortho meaning right and praxis meaning practices, and this combines the idea of right practices or right behaviors. All this ortho talk makes me think of orthodontics—right teeth. Ha! But seriously, for me the focus is not just right knowledge but also right practices. Knowledge comes in the doing, and it is a deep knowledge.
Jesus knew the only way we would understand some things is through doing. “so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.  After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” (John 13:4-5) Jesus then asked them; “do you understand what I have done for you? … I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” Sometimes the only way we can know something is to practice it. We can only see the wisdom in the practice. Jesus gave his disciples an example. He washed their feet. He spoke in actions. I think he was giving his disciples a right practice.
Foot washing was a servant’s job, yet the maker of the universe washed his disciples’ feet. Then Jesus said “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” Pride has no place in the kingdom of Jesus. It blinds us. Chris Tomlin wrote a song that expresses what Pride will stop us from obtaining.

Caught in the half-light, I’m caught aloneWaking up to the sunrise and the radioFeels like I’m tied-up, what’s holding me?Just praying today will be the day I go freeI want to live like there’s no tomorrowI want to dance like no one’s aroundI want to sing like nobody’s listeningBefore I lay my body downI want to give like I have plentyI want to love like I’m not afraidI want to be the man I was meant to beI want to be the way I was madeMade in Your likeness, made with Your handsMade to discover who You are and who I amAll I’ve forgotten help me to findAll that You’ve promised let it be in my life

In becoming a servant I become a blessing and I receive the blessing. In knowing that, I can lay my pride down and walk away, without looking back.
Rev. Patrick Evans

In the Presence of God

Every so often I go to a retirement community to lead a worship service. It is usually on Wednesday in the afternoon. This past week I prepared my lesson and presented it. I thought with success. Then one of the ladies asked her friend, “Did you hear the lesson today?” She responded, “No not really” and she smiled. I apologized for not having spoken louder, but I was thinking, I did speak loudly. She was close enough to me to hear so I was curious as to what the problem was. But, right after my apology she admitted that she is quite deaf. She went on to point out that she rarely heard anything. She kept on smiling then said something interesting. I just enjoy being able to attend worship, even if I cannot hear it.
It brought to mind a conservation I had the other day with a friend. We were discussing sermons. He said something interesting. He was trying to process that something happens in worship that is larger than just the sermon. He was having trouble expressing that something in addition to just the message in the sermon was imparted. As we discussed it I understood what he was talking about. It is the change that takes place in us. He expressed that even though we may not remember the points of the sermon we are somehow changed.
While in seminary I would often come away from worship and rate how well I thought it went. I would often judge the service as to how well I liked it. I would judge how well the sermon was done, or how well the music went. I came to realize that there were certain styles of worship I preferred. I often looked at worship from my own felt needs, and my own desires. I was judging worship from the perspective of had it “moved me”, or had it “spoken” to my intellect. Then one day it hit me I was viewing worship as a “spoiled child”. I wanted worship on my terms, not on God’s terms. I wanted worship to make me feel better, to give me good advise. I was not fully opening myself to God’s transforming work. I began to open myself to other forms of worship to which I had been closed and found God’s transforming grace at work.
This passage helped me. Phil. 2:13 “for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” It is God who is at work in us. Over time as I have allowed God to work I have began to view worship not as a place for my own self indulgent whims, but as a place of transformation. In the posture of being willing to allow God to be God is where worship began to take on depth and richness.

Acting Christian?

I just laughed out loud from the question. “Have you had acting experience?” It was a sincere question but it made me laugh because I had always hated doing any type of acting. Anytime some type of acting was required I hated it. In seminary we were often called on to do small group stuff. In my mind the only thing worse than acting was role playing. I remember sales training in business and we would be required to do role playing. How can I say this—I hated it! On the top of my list of things to avoid were role playing and acting.
So here we were on a retreat and we had done several skits. Then this young man asks me this question about acting. It made me laugh for several reasons, one is it surprised me, but another thought ran through my mind. Why would someone think I had acting experience? Then a thought ran through my mind—as a pastor there is nothing worse I could become than an actor. In my Greek classes I learned we get the word hypocrite from the Greek word for actor. Hypocrisy is insincerity by virtue of pretending to have qualities or beliefs that you do not really have.
We had a seminary professor come to our church this weekend. His sermon was a simple one. “What is being a Christian all about?” His conclusion was this—being a Christian means being conformed to the likeness of Christ. That is, becoming like Christ. Later Sunday evening he continued the talk about becoming like Christ. In his talk he spoke about the false-self and the real-self. In many ways the talk was painful, but then it got worse. He began to speak about the false-religious-self. That is, the worse false-self is the one that takes up religion as a tool to manipulate our own surroundings.
I think that Saturday night live captured the false-religious-self with the “The Church Lady”, played by Dana Carvey. The Church Lady is an elderly woman named “Enid Strict”, who is the uptight, smug, and pious host of her own talk show, Church Chat. Enid is a spoof of “holier-than-thou” Christian churchgoers. Two of the catch phrases that are used in the sketches are; “Well, isn't that special,” and my favorite, “How convenient.” We all chuckle but the serious point of this language is that it says, “I am better than you.” In my religion I am better than others.
For me this is the very same attitude of “keeping up with the Jones,” all-be-it covered in church language. In fact in the church it is even worse. This attitude becomes something ugly. It is sin with a veneer. The veneer covers up a dead and dying soul. Jesus speaks to the religious leaders of his day and calls them “hypocrites and whitewashed tombs.” That is they look good on the outside but on the inside full of death and decay. So now, I am a religious leader and I must ask myself what would Jesus say to me?
I now must answer my friend’s question, “Do I have any acting experience?” Yes I do. I have had years of acting experience. Years of acting like a Christian but not allowing God to conform me into Christ’s likeness. I must answer “yes, I have had too much acting experience, too much of the wrong kind.” I have been acting like a Christian but not being a Christian. Yet I finally did let go. I finally let God have his way in my life. I finally quit acting as a Christian and let God transform me into a Christian. That process is never ending.
What is interesting is that in becoming Christ like I now do not mind being in a skit. Role playing no longer bothers me as much either. Strange isn’t it? God is setting me free from my false-self. I am now able to be myself. I think that is what prompted my friend’s question. My friend saw in me a freedom. A freedom purchased by Christ.
Rev. Patrick Evans

I just got to let it go

I just got to let it go

“I just got to let it go.” It was a phrase a man kept repeating as he walked forward during a forgiveness service. The look in his eyes told me that it was important to him. It somehow struck him as amazing. In this one event he realized why he was at this Kairos weekend. I was not sure what part amazed him, but as a pastor I assured him; “yes, you do need to let it go.” Each time he said the phrase the meaning seemed to change. It moved from being a question “I just got to let it go?” to a realization, “I just got to let it go.” to finally a statement “I just got to let it go!” Then the last time he said it looked as though a realization hit him. It was beyond his own power to forgive. To which I assured him, “Give it to God”.
The next morning Stephen said he really needed to talk with me. He had not slept all night, and I knew he really needed to talk. As we talked, he spoke of the wrong that had happened. A year before, his cell mate had attacked him in the middle of the night. Shortly after the incident, his cellmate had been moved to another part of the prison. Stephen said “I am a patient man, and I was waiting for my opportunity for some payback.” So for the past year Stephen had been working out, getting into shape and biding his time for revenge. Then the week before the Kairos weekend Stephen’s old cellmate was transferred right into the same tier as Stephen. The problem was that if Stephen got his revenge—right now—then he would not be able to attend Kairos and eat the great food we were offering, so he put it off and figured that on Monday his time would come.
As we talked, Stephen realized that he had placed a great deal of importance on gaining revenge. He had become defined by his desire for revenge. His life had become consumed by revenge. Stephen seemed stunned that God knew him so well. He was amazed that he had been placed at this moment at this place to learn about forgiveness. We spoke for quite some time when Stephen made a confession. Following the forgiveness service we had given the men an extra dozen cookies to give as a peace offering to anyone they desired. Steven did not have the courage to give this man his cookies. He considered sending the cookies through a friend, but he realized that would not be sufficient.
Stephen looked me in the eyes and said, “I must be the one to deliver the cookies and tell him that I forgive him.” I said, “You know that I can not tell you what you must do.” Yet I wanted to say “YES!” I could tell by the look in his eyes that he somehow knew that his road to freedom lay upon this path. His freedom from hate, and bitterness, and his freedom from his old life—it all was down this road. He knew the risk of following God. It was a path he had never chosen to walk, until now. Paul wrote in Philippians 3:7-8 “ But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”
Stephen’s entire way of living was being challenged by God. His view of the world was being transformed. God was asking Stephen to let go of the most precious thing in his life. Revenge had become his reason for living. But now God’s love had replaced that reason and filled him with a more powerful passion. What is amazing is that what God asked for Stephen to give up was poison. Yet in the forgiveness of his cellmate Stephen provides a witness to the world of Christ’s redeeming love.

Rev. Patrick Evans

Friday Night Lights - Being Perfect

Authentic Evangelism

Authentic Evangelism

I just got back from a Kairos weekend. Kairos is a prison ministry that is often able to reach hardened inmates. One of the men that I spent the weekend with was a self confessed “gang banger”. (Let’s call him Bill) The term “bang” comes from being willing to shoot it out with rival gangs. As we spent the weekend, Bill had several questions about Christianity. From his questions you could tell he had spent some time considering what Christianity is about. His deepest questions dealt with his own experience of being confronted by changed lives. What Bill was speaking about was not “a jail-house Christianity”—to which he never considered being a part of—but authentic Christianity evidenced by transformed lives. Bill spoke of seeing hardened gang members attend a Kairos weekend and then walk away from the gang to never return—and never to return to jail. It confounded his mind.
As we spoke about this, I could tell that Bill could not comprehend how a person could in one weekend accomplish such a transition. He also spoke of several members of the church inside the unit who had been attempting to reach him for years. One man in particular provided a steady witness. Bill had been watching the Christians for some time by now, and he observed one man who lived a Christian witness. Day in and day out he walked the walk. I later asked that man how he was able to reach men inside the unit. He said “I live the Christian walk.”
During the weekend, one of Bill’s friends walked by and said something in Spanish, about me. I asked, “What did he say?” Bill responded, “He is watching you.” We both laughed, but then Bill said, “He wants to know if you are the square deal.” I asked, “What does that mean?” Bill explained that ‘a square deal’ means to be on the level, not kidding. He then used it in context. He said if I want everyone to know I am serious I say, “This is the square deal”. In effect, I am not kidding. In a deep way we all want to know the person we are talking to is not kidding, either us or themselves.
During the weekend we asked the inmates to define the characteristics of a Christian. They struggled with the question, until I asked them to remember a Christian they admired. That is, a Christian who “walks the walk”. We then discussed that such people are a witness. The attributes of a mature Christian are found in Galatians 5:22. They are listed as fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. A person with such attributes is an authentic evangelist. Their life is a witness that is attractive. The transformation of their life speaks effectively. As Bill said “they are the square deal”. For us living out side of the walls of the prison, we must remember we are being watched as well. As we are being transformed into the likeness of Christ we must remember—our transformation is a witness of our risen Lord.

Rev. Patrick Evans

It's only Money

It’s only Money
I watched a show the other evening. It was this guy who was helping people out with their finances. Most of the people on the show consistently spent more money then they made in income. It seemed like a straight forward problem. Stop spending so much money! But many of the people did not realize how much they were spending. They did not have the discipline to work out a budget. So anyway, I watched a couple of episodes of his show and there was a formula. First he shows each of the people the excess they had in their lives. He showed them excess of clothes, jewelry, cars, and other stuff. He then estimates a cost for all that stuff. He shows how their daily decisions affected their financial position. He then goes through some other steps. He puts the people on a budget, and they sign a contract. Yet I think one of the most important issues he often deals with is matters of the heart. Why are they spending so much money on stuff? What void are they trying to fill?
Did you know the Bible has over 3,000 references to money? (There are several excellent Christian money management courses. If you have never taken one I can highly advise taking one.) You see the Bible insists that there is some connection between this world and the spiritual world. While many religions are world-denying; the goal is to escape from this world desires. Christianity insists on a connection between the physical and the spiritual. Many of the verses in the Bible about money expose the spiritual nature our relationship to money. The Bible has books of Wisdom which have down-to-earth practical material concerning money, work and other day to day living. As such, practical matters reflect on spiritual matters.
Much of today’s living is about material wealth. The philosophy of the modern world is that wealth equals happiness. Watch any advertisement, read any magazine and the message is; obtain these things and you will be happy. The truth is that sort of happiness is fleeting. Real lasting joy, peace, or happiness is not obtained in such a way. Ecclesiastes was written by a man who had everything that his heart could desire. He denied himself nothing, and he could afford it, yet he found no meaning in it.
If we try to fill our lives with things we will never be filled. If we try to find meaning in ourselves alone, we find the world a shallow place. Pascal, said “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” I would like to add, once God fills that vacuum, He creates in us a real love for other people. Once we reach that place we realize that “its only money.”

Rev. Patrick Evans

http://pastorpatscorner.blogspot.com

Rob Bell: Everything Is Spiritual

Drive-through church

Affluenza

I have a cold today and I do not feel good. So it has me reflecting on illness. Sickness is part of the fallen world. Yet the real disease I often see as a pastor and as a dad of a teenager is Affluenza. I check Wikipedia and here is how they define the word. Affluenza is a social condition arising from the desire to be more wealthy, successful or to "Keep up with the Joneses." Affluenza is symptomatic of a culture that prides financial success as one of the highest pursuits to be achieved. People who are said to be affected by Affluenza typically find that the very economic success they have been so vigorously chasing, ends up leaving them feeling unfulfilled, and wishing for yet more wealth – you might say they become addicted to their economic pursuits.
To tell the truth, I was afflicted with this disease. It bit me as a young man, and through out college and my younger working life I was consumed by it. It works much like a cold. It made me feel more and more absent. It left me with no feeling of belonging, and I was often miserable. I often associate such a disease with living in an upwardly mobile society. Both Kingwood and The Woodlands suffer from this disease. I have now lived in both communities and could lay the reason for the disease at our consumer minded society, yet I believe there is another cause.
The real reason for Affuenza is the “me syndrome”. We somehow buy into the idea that the world is all about me. I have come to find that the more I think the world is about me, the more miserable I become. The interesting thing about the word “sin” is that it contains only one vowel. That vowel is I. I…I...I…I…I. Sin!
Sin at first appears appealing, but then we come to find that it leads to isolation, pain, and hollowness. Jesus says something about this subject. “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves? ” (Luke 9:24-25). Since Jesus talked about this in Biblical days, I get the feeling that it is more than just a modern problem.
I could easily make this to be a modern problem only suffered by teenagers of wealthy parents, but that is not the truth. In Matthew 23:25 Jesus is ruthless to the religious leaders of his day. He tells them they are about looking good, while being “filled with greed and self-indulgence.” And there it is: self-indulgence, the belief that it is all about me. As a result they are all nice looking on the outside but dead on the inside. WOW.
What is the cure to Affluenza? It is accepting Jesus Christ’s forgiveness, and in doing that learn that we are valuable. We are valuable not because of what we do, or what we have, but because God loves us. The lesson that then follows is that God loves everyone. Everyone is valuable in God’s eyes, and as such we should be concerned about justice, mercy and faithfulness.
Affluenza affects our minds, just like my cold makes it hard for me to think, Affuenza make me overly concerned with me. Affluenza clouds our thinking. We somehow come to the conclusion that life is all about me. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Rev. Patrick Evans
http://pastorpatscorner.blogspot.com

Here is a link to a video about Affluenza.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFZz6ICzpjI

Spiritual Linebacker

Getting Ready

Getting Ready

In August of 2008 I am scheduled to go on a backpacking trip with the Boy Scouts. We are headed to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. If you are not familiar with the camp it is one of the Boy Scout’s premiere high-adventure bases. I went when I was a Boy Scout, and we hiked 60 miles in 10 days in full backpack gear. We hiked to heights above the tree line. I am not sure we ever saw any flat land on the whole hike. It was a tough but good trip. The Boy Scout web site gives some idea what can happen. Here is a short sample from the camp’s Risk Advisory.
“A Philmont trek is physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding. Each person will carry a 35- to 50-pound pack while hiking five to 12 miles per day in an isolated mountain wilderness ranging from 6,500 to 12,500 feet in elevation. Weather could include temperatures from 30 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, low humidity (10 percent to 30 percent), and frequent, sometimes severe, afternoon thunderstorms.”
That sounds like fun but wait the advice goes on. “If you decide to attend Philmont, you must be physically fit, have proper clothing and equipment, be willing to follow instructions and work as a team with your crew, and take responsibility for your own health and safety. Like other wilderness areas, Philmont is not risk free, and you should be prepared to listen to safety instructions carefully, follow directions, and take appropriate steps to safeguard yourself and others.
Parents, guardians, and potential participants in Philmont programs are advised that journeying to and from Philmont, and one's stay at Philmont, can involve exposure to accident, illness, and/or injury associated with a high-elevation, physically demanding, high-adventure program in a remote, mountainous area. Campers may be exposed to occasional severe weather conditions such as lightning, hail, flash floods, and heat. Other accident possibilities include injuries from tripping and falling, motor vehicle accidents, worsening of underlying medical conditions such as diabetes or asthma, incidents, heart attacks, heat exhaustion, and falls from horses. Philmont's trails are steep and rocky. Wild animals such as bears, rattlesnakes, and mountain lions are native and usually present little danger if proper precautions are taken.”
It reminds me of the Boy Scout motto, “Be Prepared.” Here is the real issue and risk for me: I am not in good enough shape to make that hike right now. I need to get into better shape, or this trip will be a dreadful experience. I need to be able to hike with a backpack weighing 50 pounds for several miles at a time. The hike will be at altitudes that my body is not accustomed to—so I will need to work harder here at sea-level to be prepared.
The convenient thing about scheduling a trip like this is I know it is coming. I can start working out in advance. I can prepare my body. Well, in the spiritual world we also need to condition our spirit. One pass through Psalms and you will find that this life is full of heart break and danger. From a spiritual perspective we need to “Be Prepared”. Jesus advises us that we do not live by bread alone, but we live by every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Matt 4:4) I sometimes get a visual of the world filled with spiritual weaklings. We must remember and prepare for the difficult days before they arrive. So we must read our Bibles everyday to remain in spiritual shape. Life is a spiritual journey. Some days are more difficult than others, but often the mountaintop views are afforded on the more difficult days. Since we do not know when the spiritual tests will come, prepare in advance. For the world is filled with wild animals such as bears, rattlesnakes, and mountain lions, but they provide much less danger if proper precautions are taken.

Humility is Freeing

Humility is Freeing.

I worked at a creosoting plant during the summers while in High School. I often was sent out to load pickup trucks. People would come in to purchase fence posts and lumber, and my job was to load the trucks. I learned something about men that summer. With men there is some sort of pride involved in their pickup trucks. They somehow connected their pickup’s load capacity with their own strength. After spending day after day loading pickups I had a good idea how much most trucks could really carry. Yet the problem was that I looked way too young to be giving advice to grown men about their pickup trucks.
One afternoon a couple of guys come in and wanted to purchase 10 brand new railroad ties. I asked what kind of truck they were in. He pointed to a half ton Chevy parked outside. I told him it would be best to purchase 5 now and come back for 5 more because 10 would exceed his truck’s capacity. He said all 10 would fit. I agreed but pointed out that each tie weighs 205 pounds and 10 would weigh one ton. (One ton being twice the weight capacity of his truck) I said you could probably get as many as 6 or 7 but 10 would be too many, so you might as well make two equal trips.
Well, by his reaction you would have thought I said something really tacky. When he finished telling me why his truck could carry more, I said, “let’s go load your truck and you can say when it has enough weight on it.” He drove around back, and I loaded 4 ties on his truck. He was looking quite confident, but when I put the 5th tie on his truck it sank down in the back. I asked him, “do you want 5 more or do you want to make a second trip?” He said, “I think two trips”.
What is truly funny is that his truck was fully loaded. I mean it was carrying a full load. He had 1,000 pounds on a truck rated to carry 1,000 pounds. Trust me, I loaded it and it was heavy. Yet you could tell he felt sad, but he had nothing to be sad about. His truck was carrying all it could.
I believe that this same thing happens in our lives. We overload our lives with expectations about what we can carry in our jobs, our families, and our religious lives. When we notice the overload we tend to sacrifice one for the other. That is, we toss part of the load off of our truck. As the time crunch happens something must go. In seminary I noticed that often the younger students would start to skip Chapel services right about the time midterms started. For me, it was not that I had all of my work done, but when it came time to choose worship or homework, I chose worship—even when that last bit of homework could have meant the difference between making a B or an A.
The reason I was able to make that choice was that at one point in my life I chose work over family. At that same time I chose work over worship. You see, my pride never let me admit before that I did not have the capacity to get it all done. So I let the things slide that I thought no one would notice. The irony is that I let the most important things in life slide.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. (Romans 12:1-3)
Rev Patrick Evans
http://pastorpatscorner.blogspot.com

Must we be Different?

In school it was a general rule that if the teacher said something three times it was going to be on the test. So in the past couple of days I have gotten a message three times. Here are those messages. I was watching the Blue Man Group last night and they said something interesting in an interview. Often as a part of their three person act two of the guys gang up on the one guy who is acting differently. They portray our society’s tendency to require conformity. The process is quite funny when watching the blue man group. It is done by looks they give each other.
Then while reading Quite Strength by Tony Dungy I noted what he said when he was speaking about his first head coaching job. On page 96 he talks about the logic of whom he chose for his staff. “While I was in Pittsburg observing Coach Noll, I had learned that you need all types of personalities on staff. The last thing I should do was surround myself with fifteen clones of me.”
Yesterday we had a one day staff retreat. On that retreat we did an exercise about our personality types. It was interesting learning about all of our staff’s personalities, and somewhat informative. I know this is a shock, but we are not all alike. We each have our strengths and weakness.
In Romans 12:6 it says “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.” It then goes on to list the gifts; prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership, and showing mercy. Often Paul uses the example of the human body in comparison to the church. Differences for different functions, yet still forming one body. He points to us belonging to one body, with us belonging to one another.
So it should be no surprise that we are not all the same. The things that make us unique are often what God uses in service to him. Yet here is the catch, those differences can often drive us crazy, and often do. What is great is that Paul attaches this verse right after listing our differences. “Love must be sincere…Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” We must learn to care for one another—and part of that caring is learning about our differences. It is part of a process of learning to meet people right where they are. In the process of meeting people right where they are I am being made into the likeness of Christ.

Rev. Patrick Evans

Anointing Tears

Anointing Tears
As Volunteers whenever we had a full day in the prison we would eat lunch in the guards’ cafeteria. It was next to the inmates’ cafeteria but was smaller—maybe 40 people could be seated. There were paintings by inmates on the wall, and some were quite good. The air in the guards’ cafeteria was warm, and paper towels were laid over the butter to keep out the flies. The butter was soft from the warmth of the room. The background noise was loud—a combination of the fans, people talking, and clanging plates.
As we ate lunch that day I noticed a couple of the guys talking to one of the inmates. This inmate was a trustee who worked in the guards’ cafeteria. He was a fast moving fellow always checking on what we needed. I remember his short stature and bald head. He looked like a tough fellow. Later in the day I asked what the conservation was about. My friends said he had never been to church, nor did he know Christ. They took time to pray with him that day.
One of the nice things about being around for a while is having the opportunity to see things change. One day I was asked to shoot a video of the prison choir. It had been a couple of years since that day in the cafeteria, but I remember distinctly seeing my waiter’s shining face. He had joined the choir and was singing. Shooting a video can keep you quite busy, but during a break I stopped and asked one of the men how long he had be a choir member. “A couple of years, I would guess” he replied. “You can always find him in the choir. He is the one with the big smile on his face and tears streaming down.”
One of the Pharisees asked Jesus over for a meal. He went to the Pharisee’s house and sat down at the dinner table. Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfume and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his feet. Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him. Jesus said to him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Oh? Tell me.”
“Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?”
Simon answered, “I suppose the one who was forgiven the most.”
“That’s right,” said Jesus. Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, “Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair. You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn’t quit kissing my feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. Impressive, isn’t it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal.” Then he spoke to her: “I forgive your sins.”
That set the dinner guests talking behind his back: “Who does he think he is, forgiving sins!” He ignored them and said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” (Luke 7:36-48 The Message)

The stories of the Bible still live today if you have the eyes to see them.
Rev Patrick Evans

The Church will have a prison ministry night at the fellowship hall this Wednesday night. Dinner at 6:00 PM. Program at 7:00 PM.

Permanent Repairs

Permanent Repairs
I recently returned from Orange Texas where our church had a UM ARMY experience. In that week we repaired several storm damaged houses. Our small team worked on one house for most of the week. In working on the house it took me a while to understand something about how we did some of the repairs. Here let me highlight what I was struggling with. We made several repairs but the two main repairs were to the wheelchair ramp, and the second was to the roof. Each repair had a different approach. One approach was to patch, the other approach was to remove and replace. My trouble dealt with the idea of patching.
The remove and replace approach dealt with a wheelchair ramp. We removed the old wheelchair ramp and we built a new ramp. We did not reuse any of the material from the old ramp. The new ramp was built to last—and will most likely last longer than the home. Yet, the roof repair was a patch approach. The goal was to stop the leaking, and have the repair last about 4 or 5 years. (The time line was never stated, but was my observation.) I must say that I dislike repairing roofs. I prefer to just replace a leaking roof. You see, when I repair something I like to fix it in a permanent way. But, after considering all of the alternatives I see wisdom in the patching of the roof. Some of the variables in the decision included cost, ability of the team, recourses, and condition of the house, but I must also say that the heat of July in Orange Texas also convinced me of the wisdom of not being on the roof long enough to replace it.
So, I was watching the discovery channel as I often do, and watched an interesting program. The program had something to do with “my” need for a long term roof. Did you know that well before the Hover dam was built there were several other dams in the Grand Canyon? In fact there were several lakes formed behind these dams. The dams were formed by lava flows. Lava flowed across the Colorado River and created lakes. The process seemed to have happened several times. The scientists seem to believe some of these dams lasted for quite a period of time. They seem to think one dam lasted as long as 40,000 years. But, even that was not a permanent structure. The Colorado River overcame it. So, these scientists seem to think that even Hover Dam will not last forever.
I think there is something in our character that makes us desire to build something permanent. We want to build something that will last. It says that I was here. I think the reason is that God has written eternity on our heart. The problem is that there is just no way to build anything of permanence, and then it occurred to me. In UM ARMY I was building something of permanence. It is a relationship with another human being. CS Lewis said “I have never met a mere mortal.” What he was saying is that we are meant and made for entity. So our UM ARMY investments are more about the people than the projects. DUH! The wheelchair ramps are our way of loving another person; it is our means of showing Gods grace and love in a tangible way. So as several of the UM ARMY leaders comment, “it has nothing to do with the wheelchair ramp, and it is all about the wheelchair ramp.” That is the project is not the purpose, but the project points to our purpose. Our purpose to be about one another, we are our brother’s keeper. When I think about the shepherd who left the 99 to seek out the one who was lost I understand this was an act with eternity on the shepherd’s mind, and love in his heart.
Rev. Patrick Evans

Christianity A Game?
While at UM ARMY our work team played a word game. Kathy started the game by saying a phrase. As the game was played we learned the rules by playing. The “game” was to figure out the rules. No one would tell you the rules of the game; you had to figure the rules out as you played the game. Life is often like this game. We learn the rules as we go. It can be frustrating. We get upset with people who do not interpret the rules of life the same way we do.
Each society has its own set of rules, and we learn the rules by living in that society. These rules are a part of culture. The rules and our willingness to follow the rules often represent a worldview and deep seated values. In doing prison ministry I have been able to observe a set of rules of prison life. Prison has its own culture, its own set of rules. These unwritten rules include “do not be vulnerable”, “do not be weak”, “do not be an informer”, and “there are more rules”. Each inmate learns the prison cultural rules by watching the group. How to manipulate people is one of the things learned and valued in prison. Inmates are often called “cons”, because they con people. I have met some inmates who con people because they believe the whole world does the same. They just think that they got caught breaking some rules. These inmates believe what they did is not wrong because the world at its basis is about manipulation. The world is about getting what you want, by any means.
So when I proclaim the Gospel to inmates some of these men consider it a new “game”. It is a game just like any other game. It has rules. They believe that Christianity is a means to manipulate their environment and to manipulate people. All that is needed is to learn the rules of the Christian game and play it to get what they want. They quickly learn to clean up their language, be nice to people, go to worship. Go along to get along, all the while missing the radical nature of the Gospel.
You see; many of the cultural values of prison, and of our world, run counter to the values of Christ. So, if an inmate views Christianity as new rules for the purpose to manipulate, the result is a veneer—an outward change with no corresponding inward change. The inmate at his core remains unchanged. Christianity is just a new “game” to be played. So he learns the rules and lives a life untouched by grace.
It reminds me of Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He was a man who knew all of the rules and all the right people. He was well respected and knew the rules of Jewish society. He was living within the law, yet he came to Jesus, and here is what Jesus said. “I tell you the truth; no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3). Jesus is speaking about a spiritual truth here.
Each Kingdom has its own rules, its own culture, and its own values. As I read the bible I see Jesus speaking about a kingdom. He speaks of the kingdom of God. At the core of God’s Kingdom are God’s values. You see, Christianity opens our eyes to an alternative way of being and relating to one another. It opens our eyes to the kingdom of God. It is not just a game with new rules, so that we may manipulate others, but it is a new reality. It is an understanding of God’s values. It is to become a servant at heart.
So here is the challenge, how do I communicate the vision of God’s kingdom? By living the example of Christian service, but the danger is to fall into legalism and bitterness. Here is the secret. It is done by living out of the abundance of a servant’s heart. I do it because I have Christ in me by the grace of God. In this way I am able to do prison ministry knowing my words and actions must match so that I present God’s kingdom, not a game.
Rev Patrick Evans

An Unexpected Lesson

All teachers are to teach you at the minimum the requirements and objectives of the class. You paid for it you should get it. If you are lucky, certain teachers make that an easy task by using their teaching skills. Yet there are teachers who teach you much more than the class objectives. Some do it through a passion for the subject, while others do it through a passion for the students. It seems that when there is passion; passion becomes contagious. We just catch our teacher’s passion. In my case, my preaching professor taught me just such a lesson.
The lesson I learned from her did not make it into the lectures, nor was it on the objectives or requirements of the course syllabus. I am not even sure she would have thought to include it in her teaching objectives. The lesson she taught was by example—and her example caught me by surprise. In fact I have heard it said about Christianity it is more caught than taught. The lesson I learned was being lived in front of me.
It happened one day after class. I watched as she listened with incredible patience to a student. Trust me, this is not always the rule, all professors do not do listen, not the way she was listening. As I watched this I just kept wondering how long would she listen to this really boring story? I can say this because the fellow telling the story was a friend of mine. He has better stories, but sometimes he tended to ramble, and he was rambling today. I was thinking how long can she act interested in his story? Then it dawned on me, she had always treated every student the same way. She listened to every student. Once that thought passed though my mind, it was only a second more before the epiphany hit me. She really loves and cares for people. I mean not just the emotion love, but the verb love. It is the love that changes the diapers, or stays up all night with a sick friend. It is the kind of love Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians.
For me as I began to live out the example that my teacher set something funny happened. As I acted out of love, I began to feel love. That is, the emotion followed my act of will.
Rev. Patrick Evans

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

No Evidence

Jim Austin and I were doing cell to cell ministry. We were on the “A” line at Eastham. We would walk the tier and talk with the guys in “administrative segregation” about Jesus. Jim told me about one guy after we had finished for the day. This inmate looked at Jim through the bars and said with a straight face, “I am going to get my life together.” My initial response would have been to say, “That is great news.” But not Jim, he responded, “There is no evidence that you can get your life together on your own.” WOW, that is a hard truth. I thought about what Jim said, and he was correct. You see, this man was doing time on “A” line at Eastham. To get into Eastham first you must be convinced of a felony. Second, Eastham is a disciplinary unit, so most likely he was sent there for having “behavioral issues” in another maximum security prison. Thirdly “A” line was where the worst of the worst were locked up in Eastham. (This was before Texas opened the new super segregation units.) You had to misbehave in Eastham to make the “A” line. Eastham is a unit with over 4,000 men with close to half there with a disciplinary case against them. Tiers A-H are the disciplinary tiers, and here this guy was on “A” line. The truth is that if there is a bottom of the barrel this guy had found it. He had run his life right into the ditch. Jim was right, all the evidence pointed to this guy being unable to run his own life.
It is amazing though, that a person can ignore all of the evidence in their lives. Here this guy is with no evidence that he can do this on his own. In fact the evidence points to his inability to run his own life. That is the case; this guy is unable to run his own life, yet he is able to ignore the evidence. In his own mind he was thinking, “Give me a chance I can do it.” But Jim had the wisdom to present that “it is only through Christ being both my Lord and Savior that I am able.” That is Jim turned the living of his life over to Jesus.
As I think of this story I wonder how often I have thought that I can run my life better than Jesus. My natural thought is that I can just try harder, or work harder, or build my own kingdom then all will be well. Then I read “ Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” And I contemplate what that means….
I wonder if we the men of the Church are still trying to “get our life together” without Jesus. As a man, the temptation is for me to “get my life together” on my own. As I read the following statistics about men in church I wonder as to the wisdom of going it alone. For every ten men in the church, nine will have children who leave the church. Eight will not find their jobs satisfying. Six will pay the monthly minimum on their credit card bills. Five will have a major problem with pornography, and four will get divorced. All ten will struggle to balance work and family.
The reason I wanted to tell that man in prison “good for you” was because I want evidence that I can get my life together on my own. But Jim was right to tell this man “There is no evidence that you can get your life together on your own.” I just have a better veneer than that guy in prison.
Rev. Patrick Evans

Idiot Light

Idiot lights are the little red lights on the dash board of the car. The proper name now is warning light. When I was growing up we called them idiot lights. I suppose they got that name because if one came on in your car you were supposed to pull off the road and shut off the car, “you idiot!” Or they may have gotten the name from people not being aware enough to watch the gauges on the dash board. Anyway… In my car a low tire warning light keeps coming on. The first time it happened, I checked the tire pressure, and the tires were all fine—including the spare. The problem is, as the guy at the tire shop told me, my tires have no sending units to measure the pressure and send the data to the computer. That is, my car did not come with the low tire warning system. But it did come with the little light that pops on. So now, instead of checking the pressure in my tires, I just reset the light.
It’s obvious that I have no faith in that light. Well, I do have faith; I have faith that it is wrong. But you know the principle: If I’m going to rely on a warning system, it must be reliable. The truly important principle underlying this is to have a means of gaining insight. In this case it is a tire gauge, but in life what are the means to insight? Proverbs 12:1 “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” Proverbs also tells us, “The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.” The issue is that I need trusted advisors and these advisors need to know me. They need to be able to “check my pressure,” if you will allow me to stay with the metaphor. I also need advisors who have my best interest at heart. Unfortunately many would-be advisors do not have my best interests at heart. So where do I obtain counsel?
Meeting together with a small group of fellow Christians can provide the much-needed counsel or “warning lights” in our life. Our “God-chosen friends” are not a nuisance; rather they are a comfort. As I had breakfast with a small group this past week, a man commented, “I would have never guessed before I started doing this that it would mean so much to me.” As I looked around the table I saw each man agree. They each had a look of knowing just what he meant. It was as though it had just occurred to each one of them that they had all been on a journey together, and were looking forward to the continuation of the journey.
As I turn the key to my car, just before it starts all of the idiot lights come on. They do this just to let me know that they are working, and as I journey along I have faith that they are there checking.

All Wet

All Wet

It was a windy day when I took two friends sailing on our Hobie Cat. Both Vern and Mike had been sailing with me before on this boat; however, both times the wind was light. Today the wind was blowing hard. After we had the sails up and were ready to go I tried to explain to my two friends that today would be different, that the boat would not only go faster than usual, it could flip quickly as well. Neither of them was willing to listen, to which I said “OK then lets go.”
A man once coined a phrase about Hobie cats in heavy winds. He quipped “they are cats with sharp claws.” As we came out of the protected cove the wind shifted a couple of times then we got the full force of the wind. I shouted to both friends to get on my side of the boat. They replied “What?” Then instantaneously, we flipped. Suddenly I had their full attention. Before instructing them on how to right the boat I gave a quick class on sailing in heavy winds. We then righted the boat and had a great day of sailing.

Proverbs 9:6-10 NIV
6 Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.
7 “Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.
8 Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.
9 Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.
10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

The Message gives this translation:
7–12 If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you’ll get slapped in the face; confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins. So don’t waste your time on a scoffer; all you’ll get for your pains is abuse. But if you correct those who care about life, that’s different—they’ll love you for it! Save your breath for the wise—they’ll be wiser for it; tell good people what you know—they’ll profit from it. Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-God, insight into life from knowing a Holy God.

In my life I have often ended up swimming, wondering how the boat got upside down. The answer is that I did not first seek wisdom first. I call it the school of hard knocks, and I have paid much tuition to that school. Yet the wisdom of life is contained in God’s word. In verse 4 and 5 of Proverbs 9 it says that a table of wisdom has been set for the simple. Our God has set a banquet of wisdom for us. Will you come with me and partake, or do you need to go swimming first?


Rev. Patrick Evans

http://pastorpatscorner.blogspot.com

The following link will take you to a news story about the UM ARMY camp I was able to attend.
Rev Patrick Evans

http://www.kfdm.com/news/says_21250___article.html/cleveland_army.html

I was able to experence UM ARMY this past week. If you would like to see a video of the experience follow the link attached.

Local News: New Homes for Some in Orange says, cleveland, army - kfdm.com
http://www.kfdm.com/news/says_21250___article.html/cleveland_army.html

I Prefer

I prefer being in control as opposed to being dependent. I prefer comfort as opposed to suffering. I prefer the task be well within my capabilities so the outcome is not in doubt as opposed to the success of the task being in doubt. I prefer working within my comfort zone as opposed to being outside my comfort zone. I prefer things going according to my plans as opposed to my plans being interrupted. I prefer being well rested as opposed to being exhausted.
Yet having such preferences is interesting when I remember that when I am dependent on Him, God teaches me the lesson of faith. When I’m suffering I feel God’s presence the closest. When the outcome of my task is in doubt, I pray more. As I live outside my comfort zone, I grow in maturity as a Christian. When my plans have been interrupted I see God at work and am overjoyed with the day. And in exhaustion I finally stop my striving and find rest in Jesus.
Paul states, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)
Rev Patrick Evans

Voices

I played intramural soccer while in college. During one game I was running after a ball as fast as I could believing that I could get it before it went out of bounds. Then on the side lines I heard a guy say, “no way he gets there”. In that moment I let up for a step or two, and that was all it took. I missed getting to the ball. I thought to myself, “boy was that stupid of me.” I knew I could get there, maybe. I mean that, it would have taken everything I had; but there was a good chance I could do it, but that moment of disbelief stopped the moment of possibility. Later in that same game a similar opportunity came again, but this time the results were different. It was interesting in that it was a harder play on the ball. My last step was about an inch from the sideline. From there I was in the air until I kicked the ball. From about five feet away the referee said “Good play!” I could tell by the way he said it that he enjoyed the play. He took joy in my accomplishment.
I suppose this all brings me to my point. We should be deliberate in the voices we listen to. Joe reminded us in his sermon this past Sunday “we should take time to read the bible everyday.” Good advice! In this world we live with stresses and many competing voices and messages. As such, we must be deliberate to take time to listen to the voice of God. In the soccer game the voice I needed to hear was my own. It said “I can do this”, but in life we often must depend on others and on circumstances. We often must act trusting that things will work out. Joe told the story of the accomplished man who felt dread and stress in his life all the time. The pastor assigned reading the 23 Psalm 5 times a day. He was to read it slow and deliberate. He was to mediate on the passage. He was to listen. Here is the genius of his prescription, this man needed to hear a “voice of faith.” Now hear this “voice of faith.”
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in greena pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointestb my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Rev. Patrick Evans
http://pastorpatscorner.blogspot.com

Walls

Last week we were off on vacation. For the week off we went to Austin to work on our Son’s new house. He and his wife Cindy purchased a house and are expecting a baby girl in August. It is their first home and it is a nice house but it needed some work. The siding on the house is that kind made of pressed wood fibers. After a while that pressed board stuff just goes bad, so Deb, Alex and I spent some of the week replacing it with hardy siding. It may not sound like much of a vacation however I like working on things. I often find it relaxing to build or repair something. For me it leaves me with a feeling of accomplishment. I find it interesting that I like working on things. I think it is because it gives me a break from reading and thinking.
One thing that I have noticed it that it is easier to work on something than to work on relationships. It is easier with things because their reaction is limited. I think that is what makes it easy. When we enter into relationships there is a certain amount of control that we just do not have. You see with the bad siding, all we had to do was tear it off, nail up new, a little calk and some paint and better than new. The formula is easy. But with relationships, we never know how people will react to our efforts. There is risk in relationships. We become vulnerable if we truly open up. The effort to build new relationships, or to maintain, or even to repair relationships doesn’t always follow a simple formula, but Paul spoke of accomplishments vs. love. In the comparison he concluded without love “I am nothing”. He then spoke of love in simple terms. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps not record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Cor 13:4-7)
In none of these word do I see Paul say, love is controlling, love is manipulative, love is calculating, love needs to own. Love keeps a record of what is owed. So when I do works of kindness; I must remember to do them without strings. I must make sure the only wall I repair is the one on the house. For if I attach strings to the gift I may be building walls to our relationship.

Rev Patrick Evans

Loss of Control
I remember the days of corporate meetings and frustrations. A friend told me of a meeting the other day. He got his new compensation plan in that meeting. The presenter asked if there were any questions about the compensation plan. Jerry asked; “are there any questions that would cause a change in the plan.” They answered “no”. So Jerry said: “Well then I don’t have any questions.” I could feel his frustration.
Then a little later, another person was talking about their annual planning and budgeting meeting. He said at some point he just wanted to say to senior management “just give me the numbers and we will find a way to get there.” Again there was frustration. Then the source of frustration dawned on me: loss of control. You know for all of us there comes a time when it dawns on us that we have limited control. In that moment it can become either a growing moment or a self defeating moment. It can result in a self defeating attitude, or it can result in a resolve for us to focus on what we can do.
In Ecclesiastes is a verse about casting your bread upon the water. It is about doing your part. Solomon is speaking about doing good works to the poor, and in doing the work without over thinking.
In the casting of my bread upon the water, it is not lost, but well laid out, and well laid up; it brings me to understand the providence of God, and graces and comforts of his Spirit; for the principal is sure, laid up in heaven, for it is lent to the Lord.
Ecclesiastes is a long lament of the wisest and wealthiest man of his time. Here he speaks of what he can control and he cannot control. He cannot control the weather or many other things, but he can plant. My two friends could lament about not having control, but it is wise to focus on what they can do. As a pastor I must come to grips with my lack of control, and then I remember what John Wesley said, “Do all the good you can, for as long as you can, to all the people you can.” In doing so I step past my own frustrations of what I can and cannot control and realize and remember all at once that God is good, and He is in control.
Ecclesiastes 11:1
11 Cast your bread upon the waters,
for after many days you will find it again.
2 Give portions to seven, yes to eight,
for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
3 If clouds are full of water,
they pour rain upon the earth.
Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where it falls, there will it lie.
4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things.
6 Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let not your hands be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well.

Being Made Ready to Witness
I was driving to the church this morning and saw a man running. He was covered in sweat and did not have on a shirt. You could tell he works out. Wow was he in shape. He had a tattoo on his chest that looked like he was in the Marine Corps. This guy could be on the poster for recruiting for the Marines. It got me to thinking about what it means to be a soldier. It means becoming a soldier. It means having discipline of body and mind. To do it right is a 24-7 thing not just a 9 to 5 thing. It is to become heart and soul connected and sold out so as to be ready for a mission. The end result of that mission is often to allow a leader to implement their will over a people or a situation.
Then I started to wonder, am I as disciplined in my discipleship mission? That is, am I “working out” so that I can become fully Christ like? Do I have the discipline and am I being made ready? Jesus left us the mission to go and make disciples in all of the earth. This is a mission to change the world. It is in fact a mission that imposes God’s will over our will and to bring about his kingdom on the earth. As I pray “thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” I realize that the mission has already been presented. There is one key difference between being a soldier in an earthly kingdom and a soldier in the kingdom of Christ. The difference being the mission is not to be accomplished by force; it is to be accomplished by love.
Jesus does not impose his will; he attracts people by his beauty. The question is, “am I being made beautiful like Jesus?” But the only way people will see the beauty of Christ in me, which is the love of the father, is if I live it out. The only way that I can live out love is to be made like Christ. To be made like Christ is a work of the Holy Spirit, and a work of my will. I have been saved by grace, but I am being made Christ like through sanctification. John Wesley spoke often of living a life of holiness so that we could be people who live lives that transform the world. John Wesley was a fiercely devoted man to these principles.
When I saw the runner, the whole essence of his being told me immediately who he was. The training that he devoted himself to had resulted in a transformation of his body. His superior tuned body witnessed to me immediately who he was. We too are called to a life of discipline that transforms. The question is: Do you immediately see Jesus in me?
Rev. Patrick Evans

Don’t waste the pain.

It was my first semester in seminary when during the chapel service the following words were said. “Don’t waste the pain.” I thought what on earth could this possibly mean? No one said anything about pain in the glossy seminary brochure. In fact the brochure made it look more like a Pleasantville than a place where there was pain. What good could there be in pain?
Since that time I think I have come to understand the wisdom of those words. In life we have experiences that add to our lives. Experiences that enrich us, those from which we develop character, are often in times of stress and conflict. Places where there is pain and fear. As I reflect on the experiences that have taught me the most I notice something. They often include pain. It maybe that I only learn the hard way, but I think there is something more basic here. The process of sanctification takes place in the hard lessons of life. The word sanctification is the $5.00 word for being made Christ like.
Often God must show us the sin that is in our lives that keeps us prisoners. When we finally see the sin in our lives for what it is there is pain. But such pain is good because it is the pain that can set us free.
Now here is the real catch with the painful experiences, we can either run from the pain or move toward the pain. The solution to problems is not in running from them, the solution is to press through the problem. As a society today when we face pain, we look for instant relief. We suppress our problems with entertainment, or a stiff drink, or just by living in denial. There is real strength to be found in moving through the problem, especially when it is Christ who carries us through. This is the process of being made like Christ while being in Christ. So often the solutions to my problems are that I need to be made more Christ like. So I must remember not to waste the pain but to rejoice in suffering.

Romans 5
Let us rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but let us also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

What makes some things work?
I spent part of a summer working for a car dealership while in collage. The first half of that summer I was in the library completing the research for an economics professor. I came home looking for a job and applied with the owner of the dealership. I told him I just wanted out of the library. I wanted some outdoor labor involving some sweat. In less than an hour I was out back patching the parking lot with a shovel and a large pile of asphalt. He was able to accommodate my request. A revelation came to me while working on that job. Cars work because of petroleum. It really hit me as I spent a Saturday cleaning up all of the oil in the shop bays. Oil was everywhere, and it was everywhere because that is what enables cars to work. Petroleum is in the gears, in the transmission, in the motor, in the wheel bearings, in the tank, on the hinges. It is used through out the car, and without it the car would not go, yet we cover that aspect up of the car up because it is not attractive. In the process of cleaning up the floor, which was saturated in all of these oils, it became apparent cars work because of petroleum.
Christianity runs on love. Through watching my wife take care of our children I have come to grasp that love is often displayed in ordinary everyday ways. Love is often messy. I have seen it displayed in the changing of diapers, the wiping of noses, the cleaning up of spilt milk. She displays it in the listening ear and kind words she has. I know my own mother did these things when I was a child. I think it is often our mothers who teach us that love often means that we must get involved in the mess. Mom’s often see a need and without looking for thanks reach into that need and fill it. They are an example of living a life of love.
Christ said in John 14:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Christ got involved in the mess of life. He loved by being directly involved in the hard and often messy parts of life. He never turned from love nor did he ever shy away from the mess, and yet the mess never made him dirty.
As I celebrate this mother’s day I am more able to reflect on the extraordinary importance of love as an everyday ordinary practical act. For me to be made more like Jesus is to learn to live out love in the everyday messiness of life.
Rev. Patrick Evans

Thermostats and Thermometers

In life we often live as either people who can be controlled by our environment or as people who effect our environment. According to Joe Hodowanes, “We all tend to function as either one or the other. One tells about the conditions surrounding it while the other makes a difference in those conditions in the environment where it's located. What most of us would like to be is a thermostat — someone who controls the temperature in our situation. Your family and friends welcome someone who is under control, who doesn't succumb to the stress, who's steady and caring and peaceful. Those thermostat people are rare — and valuable.” Mr. Hodowanes article is about job searching and successful habits. It is an insight that has value.
The question for me is how as a Christian am I to control my environment? This was a question that can be answered from scripture. (Ephesians 5:19-20) “ Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,  always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” To do this in reality can be difficult. It can become a wooden, stiff, forced thing that no one believes. I think we have all seen that; but, the true authentic change is a beautiful and contagious reality. The key is the authentic relationship with Christ.
As I thought about the differences between a thermostat and a thermometer one real difference occurred to me. The thermostat is connected to the power. If you disconnect the thermostat from the source of power it can do nothing. The importance of worship is that it brings me into the presence of God. It keeps me connected. God then changes my attitude, and gives through me the power to live out that authentic attitude.
When difficult times come — and they will; when pressure mounts – and it does; and when people misbehave – as they often do; our response is to turn to God and worship. In this act of worship I rebel against forces that want to make me a thermometer, and God uses me as a thermostat. So here is a psalm, a hymn, a spiritual song that I speak to you today.
Pastor Pat

Thermostats and Thermometers

In life we often live as either people who can be controlled by our environment or as people who effect our environment. According to Joe Hodowanes, “We all tend to function as either one or the other. One tells about the conditions surrounding it while the other makes a difference in those conditions in the environment where it's located. What most of us would like to be is a thermostat — someone who controls the temperature in our situation. Your family and friends welcome someone who is under control, who doesn't succumb to the stress, who's steady and caring and peaceful. Those thermostat people are rare — and valuable.” Mr. Hodowanes article is about job searching and successful habits. It is an insight that has value.
The question for me is how as a Christian am I to control my environment? This was a question that can be answered from scripture. (Ephesians 5:19-20) “ Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,  always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” To do this in reality can be difficult. It can become a wooden, stiff, forced thing that no one believes. I think we have all seen that; but, the true authentic change is a beautiful and contagious reality. The key is the authentic relationship with Christ.
As I thought about the differences between a thermostat and a thermometer one real difference occurred to me. The thermostat is connected to the power. If you disconnect the thermostat from the source of power it can do nothing. The importance of worship is that it brings me into the presence of God. It keeps me connected. God then changes my attitude, and gives through me the power to live out that authentic attitude.
When difficult times come — and they will; when pressure mounts – and it does; and when people misbehave – as they often do; our response is to turn to God and worship. In this act of worship I rebel against forces that want to make me a thermometer, and God uses me as a thermostat. So here is a psalm, a hymn, a spiritual song that I speak to you today.
Pastor Pat

The Best Water

The best water I ever drank was while on a camping trip. We had hiked quite a distance in the New Mexico Mountains. Several of us ran out of water with several miles to hike. We had less than a quart between 10 of us. When we reached camp we were able to get more water yet we had to wait for the purification tablets to work. That meant we were without water for about an hour longer. Later that evening it was also a good dinner because we were all hungry. The need and desire became connected. Sleep felt good because we were tired. We were blessed by the experience. We came to understand being satisfied.
This memory helps me understand the Beatitudes.
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus in the Beatitudes is saying that in being in the right attitude we are set to be blessed. The process of blessing is in motion. Blessed are those who long for the right things… for they can look forward to the day when they will be satisfied. Jesus turns the world upside down in saying that comfort and self absorption are not the ends or the means to a meaningful life. This then leads me to the question; am I a person who longs for the right things, the things that will satisfy? The world today keeps telling me the things I should long for, but do I listen to the words of my teacher, my Lord? Do I long for the things that will satisfy?

Celebrity make over
I was watching TV the other day and an advertisement came on for a new show. It was billed as “Capture the style of your favorite celebrity.” I started thinking why would I want to be like a celebrity? Why would people want to be like a celebrity? What portion of the human condition does this speak to? What neediness does it fill? Then I decided to play along, what celebrity do I like? Then I thought do I really want to change the way I live, just to be like someone else? What star does that for me? Wow, that is a short list.
Then I started thinking about what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Am I just trying to capture the “style” of Christ? To put on the outward trappings of a style just seems so shallow. I remember what Jesus said to Nicodemus. “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” This does not sound like putting on some kind of veneer, an outward pretence of being like Jesus. It is a remaking from the inside that is then evidenced on the outside.
What is so cool about this process with God is that we become our true selves. We begin to stop pretending to be someone else, and become who God made us to be. It frees me from wanting to be like some celebrity, yet draws me to becoming truly Christ like. In the process of becoming Christ like, God shows me who I truly am. This is not a journey without pain; however, it is an infinitely good journey. CS Lewis said “I have never met a mere mortal.” Lewis is saying we are all important. We do not need to become like a celebrity because we are all stars.
Allow God to show you who you really are, and then you can really shine. “For if the father has set you free then you are free indeed”

Splinter

While in seminary we lived in an old house that needed constant work. While doing that work one day I got a splinter in my finger. It was a nice hard oak splinter from the oak floors. I thought that I got the entire splinter out, yet whenever I bumped my finger I still had pain. It was an indication that something was still below the surface, yet I could not find it. One afternoon I pressed on the wound and still felt pain and tightness just below the skin. So, I then applied more pressure, and with a sudden burst out came the splinter, along with some other stuff. For that very short moment while I applied the pressure it also hurt, then if felt much better. The healing process then took place.
The wood not being a true portion of my body was being rejected, causing pain and festering. The splinter reminds me of being wounded by another person. The splinter from the tree can become a bitter root planted under our skin. Some splinters run deeper than others. A little bump or some pressure on the wound makes us again feel the pain. Hebrews 12:15 tells us, “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” The removal of the splinter from the wound will cause pain, yet it is necessary for healing. The splinter must come out. In my unwillingness to face the pain of removing the splinter in the first place, I allowed the splinter to remain and fester, but my body would not allow the splinter to remain. My body reminded me at ever bump.
Are the bumps and pressures of life making you experience again an old pain? Is there a broken splinter just below the surface? Remember the pain of removing the splinter is often needed before healing can take place.
Wood workers know that splinters are inevitable. They also know that everyone gets them and they need to be removed and there is no shame in that. In life people inflict wounds on one another. If you need to have a bitter root removed there is no shame in that, other than in not removing it. We gather as small groups to help expose buried splinters and remove them.

Habits

Our lives are formed by our habits. I think we often like to dress up the idea of habits with words like devotion, and discipline; but, for me the simplicity of it comes down to habits. Then it boils down to, do my habits exhibit my goals? That is, do my daily habits align with the results I desire? Paul speaks to us about running a good race. I want to talk about training for that race. Are my habits conducive to being a good runner? The great athletes will tell you that the game is won in the preparation. The great ones have excellent training habits. I put forth that it is our habits that form us, or more precisely, conform us to Christ. In a society that wants an instant fix this is not a glamorous look at the Christian life.

The simple example in my life is that in seminary I fell out of the habit of shaving every morning. It seems so trivial, yet now it has taken me a few months of getting back in the habit of shaving every day. Now that it has been a part of my routine again for several months it is again a habit. Something that I viewed as a pain, as extra trouble, has now become integrated into my life.

As a Christian do my habits include, reading the word? Am I in prayer? Do I live in Christian community? Do I worship? Am I in Christian service? Are these my habits?
Do I have the habits of a disciple of Christ? If so then through the Holy Spirit I am being conformed to Christ.

I was watching the movie Friday Night Lights, when I was struck by the “locker room speech”. I was amazed by the truth struck upon by Billy Bob Thornton. Their team was getting beaten by a faster stronger meaner team. How often our own lives feel like we are just here getting a beating. Then the coach tells them, “your need to find each other out there, you need each other”. How true that is about the Christian life.Then halftime and the locker room speech. The coach, Billy Bob, tells his players about being perfect. You all have known me for a while... and for a long time now, you've beenhearing me talk about being perfect. Well, I want you to understand somethin'.To me, being perfect... is not about that scoreboard out there. It's not about winning. It's about you and your relationship to yourself and your family and your friends. Bein'perfect...is about being able to lookyour friends in the eye... and know that youdidn't let them down. Because you told 'em the truth.And that truth is, is that you did everything that you could.There wasn't one more thing that you could've done. Can you live in that moment...as best you can with clear eyes...and love in your heart? With joy in your heart?If you can do that, gentlemen,then you're perfect. I want you to take a moment...and I want you to lookeach other in the eyes. I want you to put each other in your hearts forever. Because forever's about to happen here in just a few minutes.I want you to close your eyes… and I want you to thinkabout Boobie Miles, who is your brother. And he would die to be out there on that field with you tonight.And I want you to put that in your hearts. Boys, my heart is full. My heart's full.
John Wesley was often talking about us becoming perfect, and what that looks like. Here in this locker room moment I see a vision of perfection as a team. As I think about what we do in our small groups I see a vision of perfection as a group of men who share the truth, in being there for each other.

I then think about the speech as what Christ did at the Cross. In that moment Christ went to the cross and it was about relationship, His relationship to the father and his relationship to us. He went to the Cross with clear eyes and love in his heart, and he told us the truth.

Dreams and Polar Bears

I ask God each day for fresh insight. This is what he put on my heart Monday morning.

As I awoke from my dream about a polar bear I wondered if it had a meaning. The dream went something like this. My nephew and I were setting together when he got the attention of a Polar bear. I asked him “are you crazy?” “I have experience with these polar bears, and they are tough to get rid of, and nothing good comes of it.” Well, this polar bear followed us home, and he gave us a hard time. In my mind I knew what the bear wanted. It wanted to kill us. It also was willing to kill anyone around us as well. (Family, friends, or any unlucky bystander) In the dream the bear was wreaking havoc. His behavior was getting worse and worse. It was finally a lot like that insurance company’s commercial where the bear eats the inside of a car. Well, as I pondered this dream it struck me as a metaphor of addiction. It also reminds me of sin. In Gen 4:7 “…But if you do not do what is right sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”

The question comes to mind, “are we crazy?” The teachers of the law in the Old Testament tried to build a fence around the law so that the people would not fall prey to sin. It occurs to me that we need fences in our lives. We would do much better not to bring polar bears into our lives. But what do we do if we have one in our lives? One man against a bear is not good odds, but if we band together we can kill these polar bears together one at a time. Jesus said, “I have come to bring you life and to bring it more abundantly.”

As I was reading Mark 8:14 I had a thought about faith. That thought being that I wanted to be prepared for every situation that was possible before it happens. I wanted full knowledge of the Bible, and what to do in every situation, so I could be ready. Then I read this scripture.
“The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. “Be careful, Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have not bread.”

Jesus goes on to try and explain it to them. Jesus had been so faithful to them. He had provided so often. Yet the disciples considered it their fault that they should have brought more.

At the deepest spiritual level I began to wonder what this was saying about me. Then it hit me… I wanted to have complete knowledge so that I no longer had to rely on God. I wanted self-reliance not God reliance. Then I got this funny visual. Me standing there trying to carry all of this bread. A full lifetime supply of bread strapped on me, so much bread in fact that I could no longer move. Funny, well it made me smile.

Jesus wants my faith. Yes, his yoke is light. So as I lay down my need to carry all of this bread, I am able to move in faith.

So, I now encourage you to move in faith, and may you go places where Jesus shows up with the resources.

Something came to me this week while preparing a lesson.
"We will only get out of life what we put into it."
The men's retreat was a great deal of fun. We were able to have time together and celebrate a warm time as well as a hot camp fire. Well, now after several weeks that camp fire is cold, yet we started new connections among the men here at KUMC. I would like to encourage each of you to continue to develop friendships that were started.
We will be starting some new fellowship groups during the week. Bill Carroll will be heading up that group. Feel free to contact Bill or myself as to times and groups. Also keep in mind that there are several groups that are already in motion. Purvis Harper would be glad to speak to you about those groups.
If you want a friend . be a friend
If you want to be in close contact with men be there for each other.
If you want more out of life we need to put more into life.

Ash Wednesday:
Gregory I. (590–604) fixed the Wednesday of the sixth week before Easter, Ash Wednesday as it is called,735 as the beginning of it. On this day the priests and the people sprinkled themselves with dust and ashes, in token of their perishableness and their repentance, with the words: "Remember, O man, that dust thou art, and unto dust thou must return; repent, that thou mayest inherit eternal life."[1]
8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”[2]

Jesus rides into town and he is loved. The crowd had the anticipation of a King who would return Israel to its rightful place. When the expectations of the crowd are not met they soon turn on Jesus. Here is where all the plans of humans come to ashes. We have the idea that if it just went the way we wanted it to go then all would be right. The folly with this logic is that I do not have the eternal perspective of God. So this is the reason all of my plans and desires come to ash, like the palm branches, like the Temple in Jerusalem. How long does it take to learn to lie down my will, and say “thy will be done”, and then to move from saying it to living it? How tempted am I to construct my own kingdom? To be like the people who wanted to build the tower of Babel. It is the same struggle today as it has always been. It is that I am to risk all and trust in the Lord, for his way is eternal.
735 Dies cinerum, caput jejunii, or quadragesimae.
[1]Schaff, Philip ; Schaff, David Schley: History of the Christian Church. Oak Harbor, WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997
d A Hebrew expression meaning ``Save!” which became an exclamation of praise; also in verse 15
[2] The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Mt 21:8