"Faithful Fathers--- Problem Solvers at Work Today!"

 

There is an old saying that goes like this... "every problem has a solution and each solution creates new problems which have solutions which create new problems which have solutions..."  The story of the 'Cats of Borneo' is an excellent example...

   http://www.rmi.org/spring_2012_esj_07_imagine_a_world

 

Or as Pogo once said, "we have met the enemy and he is us!".  Old pal, St. Paul referred to this reality as "the old Adam" in each of us.  And I've always liked the saying from recovery ministry... "if that thing you are doing is causing a problem, then that thing you are doing is a problem."  Word!

 

It's Father's Day 2013 weekend!  Hopefully, lots of dads will be in our churches this Sunday.  Hopefully, they will be wanting to hear a word from God about their lives.  Most men I know who are fathers would "lay down their lives" for their children...die for their children.  I'm not sure if that is a problem or a solution but I think our best hope is for the fathers in our churches to "live" for their children.  Will the men in our churches hear a word about "LIFE" this Sunday?  According to Pat Morley, founder of Man in the Mirror ministry ( a para-church organization and linked to the ELCA's Lutheran Men in Mission http://www.maninthemirror.org/) church leaders face 2 key problems...

 

• The "men problem" has become a crisis that is virtually out of control. The collateral damage among families is staggering. Men under 40 are especially vulnerable to an alien worldview that is gutting the institutions of marriage and family. Our government agencies, social sector organizations, and businesses are overrun trying to cope with the downstream damage of an increasingly fatherless, angry, and dysfunctional generation. 

      and...

• Unfortunately, we also have a "church problem." The mission of the church, of course, is to make disciples. We love the church. But the vast majority of churches we talk to are struggling to consistently make male disciples. As a result, they have not been able to cope with the changing climate among men. Their leadership resources are often depleted and most of them need fresh ideas. Churches know that there can be no meaningful solution to the problems our world faces unless men are equipped to be godly men, husbands, fathers, and citizens.

Now, granted, that's a lot to unpack and is really a description of the tip of the iceberg rather than the whole chuck of ice, but does offer a reality all pastors and leaders of men must address.  For, if we do not... then I think we've conceded to 'be" the problem versus tackling it head on.

 

So, where do you start?  It might be a different place than the next pastor or youth director or men's ministry point man... depending on where they are at present... And if that is the case then let me suggest... and some will find this unusual coming from me... that we use our 'liturgical' resources to tend to this... think words like... rhythm, diligence, persistence, authenticity and couple those with words like purpose, grace, renewal, reformation and molding just for starters... and it starts for me on Sunday...  God at work... for the sake of my life and for the sake of your life and those around us.

 

Men of God... Fathers... dads... sons... brothers... can we do this on Sunday...?

• Gather in God's house with gratitude and hope for days past, today and tomorrow?
• Make a point to greet other men around you before the worship begins... to suggest...'hey, we're on this road together... no one walks alone...' Smile... shake a hand... say, "hey... I'm..... (add your name...) and make sure you do that with another man you don't know well... 2 is better!
• Then sit down and shut up for moment and invite God to 'speak' in a way that you will understand and know that this is the best place you could be on Sunday morning...
• Rhythm... confession... owning up... saying 'brokenness' is real and I'm Humpty Dumpty as each of us falls off the wall and somehow can't find a way to piece it all back together...
• Rhythm x 2 ... silence... sense and feel water pouring over your head... know that the Word of God connected to the water washes you clean... trace the cross of Christ on your forehead... it won't rub off, trust me...
• Rhythm x 3 ... the silence is broken when the words of forgiveness and grace are shared... "all my sins are forgiven"  WoW!  Burdens are lifted... the door is opened to a new life... renewed, refreshed, restored...
• Rhythm x 4 ... how does this happen?  "The peace of the Lord be with you always!" is spoken... words to share with others around you... Jesus is God's peace... with each of us... in the center of all those smiles, hand shakes and hugs... Jesus in the middle of our life together... the peace that passes all human understanding... so don't try to figure out God... rejoice in the reality that God has figured YOU out!
• Rhythm x 5... even if you can't carry a tune in a bucket or whether you sing bass in the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJybtgsOYno) this is the moment of 'awe' and gives cause to sing and praise God and that's why we always sing after the peace is shared... the Reed Sea has split... Moses leads us to the other side of life and we sing our hearts out to the one who saves and provides...

And then we pray and are ready to hear the Word of God and be -reshaped for faithful living...

 

Isn't this really what we do on Sundays...

 

 

Now, when we do this... we will all appear like a bunch quietistic guys who aren't very certain about life or ourselves... Not so, though!  We gather, admit, re-think, renew, make plans, act upon those plans, review and assess and then come back the next Sunday and repeat...  Church is the place where we "practice our faith" so that when those moments arise outside the walls of the church we will have a faith to use...  we all have code... for some our code causes problems... for others the code is the problem solver... but it's life-long work... for all of us... every day... 24-7-365... modeled after the God who neither sleeps nor slumbers...

 

Last piece of business... cause this IS our business... making disciples... helping fathers be faithful and do more than die for their children...

1. Divorce rates have been dropping during the last few decades. Data indicates that marriages have lasted longer in the 21st century than they did in the 1990s.
2. The other side of that statistic is many couples are just not marrying and choosing to live together instead...
3. Which leads to Peggy Contos Hahn's comment earlier this year that in 2012 more children were born out of wedlock than those who are born of a married couple.
4. So, problems have solutions and solutions cause new problems... Here's a list of info you might find helpful before and after Father's Day 2013!  Enjoy... and pray...  http://buildingbrothers.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Men_Statistics.pdf

Happy Father's Day!  May your church be filled with men who "live" for their children...

Keep the conversations going... share this message with a friend or two...

One man at a time; no man left behind...

     Brian

"UP, IN and OUT --- the Power of Prepositions"

Prepositions. We use them all the time. Small words. Powerful words. Necessary words. Connectors. They are the critical part of our vocabulary honing the details of what we say, how we say it – directing our thoughts and manner by which we communicate. You know. Word of God; faith in Christ; with the Holy Spirit. See? Even the opening sentence of the Bible begins with a preposition… “IN the beginning..." and as we talk our faith and walk our faith we find a great lesson in the power of prepositions. Men in Mission. Let’s see how this works. After all, men's ministry reflects the power of God... no beginning and no end and the main point is to tend to part that is in between.

I'm always being asked, "what can I do... what can we do... what can our church do for the men in our church and in our community?" Is there a 'roadmap' to help them build and sustain faithful and purposeful living is another way to ask. It's an honest question and I have found the work of Ps. Walt Kallestad and Fr. Michael Breen very helpful here. Some of what you read next is from their books, "Passionate Life" and its sequel, "Passionate Church." We all get passion. We need it. Christ showed it. Mel Gibson made a movie about it. The passion of God... the passion of the Christ...the one who has come to us in the person of Jesus... God in the flesh... with a passion that is in our hearts before we even know it. This passion is a gift from God that when we seek it we find ourselves discovering the joy... a complete joy according to Jesus... that only God can give.

Breen and Kallestad offer up some 'geometric' shapes to help us tend to our faith. The semi-circle is used to demonstrate the pendulum swing and rhythm of work and rest; of work and prayer; of work and fun. It's a good rhythm. They use the image of the circle to show how confession, grace and absolution direct our path from week to week... from one Sunday to the next. We think, plan and act. Sometimes we get things done. Sometimes we've left them undone. And when our thoughts and plans and actions do not line up with God's will for our life (see Deuteronomy 6:5 ff as a model for God's will) then we gather as God's people to observe, reflect and discuss this same will and in acknowledging our missing the mark we have opportunity to think, plan and act again. The God of second chances shows up again and again and this passion of God for each of us gives us courage and hope to continue on... and that is the rhythm of our lives.

The third shape the authors present is the triangle. It's that equilateral kind with 3 equal sides and connected to each side are three instructions.

• UP with God
• IN with the Church
• OUT with the world

Up, In and Out... powerful prepositions for 21st Century Christians! And once again there is the rhythm of God to help us maintain the flow of work and rest living deeply in God's present and returning grace as our life in God is more than personal; it is communal, corporate and missional.

Like the 10 Commandments, with the first three defining our relationship with God, the initial work of "up with God" is critical to all the rest. We don't serve from and empty chalice. We don't give what we don't have. We can't. We offer what overflows from us and our life within the church and our living together in the world as church is fueled when we are connected and 'up with God." It is as ancient as breathing and as the ancients practiced a prayer posture that included not bowed heads and closed eyes, but arms spread open, heads raised and eyes wide open so that God could see deep in our hearts as the heart has always been the first access point for God with us! Our 'up with God' efforts include quiet time for prayer; a regular pattern of introspective meditation; taking advantage of moments of confession to welcome God's forgiveness and as St. Paul reminded the Colossians that our connectedness to God includes singing hymns and spiritual songs as these are all part of our 'worship.' The 'up-with-God-ness' within us is essential and remember that Martin Luther took time for 'worship' as Jesus did, each Sabbath, and did so daily via a time for prayer each morning... for an hour ... at least and on more difficult days... he prayed for 2 hours. Wow, what a world we would have if the world did that! UP with God!

As we read the Bible, we can see quickly that God is very into 'community.' God is always speaking out to and gathering groups of people... prophets, priests and kings, disciples, elders, deacons, etc. Jesus called 12 disciples, sent out 70 in pairs to teach, preach and heal, 120 another time and on the day of Pentecost, St. Luke notes that 3000 were baptized as a result of Peter's preaching. God is always about community and we really can't actualize our Christian-ness by trying to be Christian alone or in our way or image. Check it out... the Bible speaks of the children of God, the people of God, the family of faith, the body of Christ, those called from darkness into a marvelous light, the followers of the Way and on and on we see that being a follower of Jesus the Christ is about being in community! So, up with God leads to being "in with the Church."

How did Martin Luther describe the Church? He said in the catechism that the church is where a) the Word of God was preached; b) the sacraments were administered rightly; and sometimes c) where the mutual conversation and consolation of the people is experienced, Luther's way of talking about sharing one another's joys and struggles. Do you recognize that Church? There is nothing solitary about it! Preachers need people who can listen. The people need a preacher who can share the good news and teach. And while taking a bath or shower is a private act of cleanliness, no one likes to play in the pool or swim in the ocean alone. In fact, the latter is frowned upon and frankly dangerous! We can call Holy Communion by a couple of names... The Lord's Supper or the Eucharist, the New Testament word for "giving thanks." Who would want to have Thanksgiving dinner alone? That would be a very quiet and lonely meal.

Or think of it this way... when people join our churches they stand at the baptismal font and in front of the altar and say words like this... "it is my intention to:

• live among God's faithful people (vs hanging out with the un-faithful!)
• hear God's Word (vs devoting oneself to Stephen King novels, etc)
• share in the Lord's Supper (a meal that only Christ can offer)
• follow the example of Jesus (now that's a loaded request all by itself!)
• strive for peace and justice in all the world (who can do this alone?)

And at the same time, as a mostly hard-working nose to the grindstone parish pastor, I would like to add a couple of extra lines like, support the work of this ministry via generous gifts of money and time and for people to read their monthly newsletters and emails.... the response heard is ... "I do and I ask God to help and guide me!" And when we are all about this effort day after day, week after week, season after season and year after year, the Church remains strong and faithful. So, being "in with the Church" doesn't just bring benefit to my own life, others nearby are blessed, too.

But to what end? Is the church just for us? Luther was amazed with delight to wrap his head around the words of Jesus... "pro me"... the Latin words about the Lord's Supper... that the bread and wine and the body and blood of Christ was "for me!" --- that Jesus' body and blood comes to us in that wonderful prepositional way--- in, with and under the bread and the wine! But, he also read Jesus' clear command to "do this" as the way to remember him, and that, also, in this feeding, in this collective and mysterious remembering meal, there was the task to share this grace and message with the world. Thus, to be up with God and in with the Church has no other destination but to be 'out with the world.' Jesus was also 'sending' and telling his followers to "go!" And so we do... we are sent and we go with confidence and with a message that leads others to a life that is overflowing with the kind of joy and peace and purpose that only God's Holy Spirit can provide.

In the end, we are the 'real presence' of God's sacramental mystery in the world. This is what church is. This is what men's ministry is part of and designed for. It is the trinitarian model that just about any man you know or I know can internalize and live out. And finally, here's why this is such an important thing... it's our story...

Three men walk into a bar. They are strangers. They all sit down and make their order... Scotch on the rocks, Tequila straight up and a Kentucky bourbon with ice on the side. The bar tender notices that he's never seen them in his bar before. "You know each other?" he asks. "No," they all chime in together. "Oh," the barkeep says. "What brings you here?"

The first man says, "well I just got pink-slipped. The company I've had 27 years of loyalty and the place I thought I'd retire from just cut me loose," as he pulled the rosy colored paper out of his pocket. "It was embarrassing having a security officer walk me to my car."

The second man says, "hey, me too! My gringo boss was a real jerk. He said we have to cut back to save money. So, me, Juan and Pito got the boot."

And before Paulo finishes, the third story unfolds..."Yeah, I knew this was going to happen. The man always says my job is secure. He's said that to me and my friends for the last two years and every so often, the team gets smaller and smaller. Today, it's my turn."

So, the good listener behind the bar stood stunned. "Man, all three of you are out of work, huh?" But, that wasn't all there was to tell... in a matter of minutes all three men tell their version of how they called home to tell their spouses the news and all three men heard similar versions of "oh, well that's just great... I can't take this any more....that's the last straw... I'm done... when you get home I will be gone... and oh by the way... that 24 year old unemployed college drop-out son of yours is passed out on the living room couch and his 17 year old sister just told me she's pregnant and does not know who the father is."

Up with God, in with the Church, out with the world. You and I walk in that bar next... minutes later. What do we say? Do we care about these three men? Their spouses and children? The grandchild who may bear his name? What do they want to hear? What do they need to hear? Most likely, they will not care that we believe we are simul justus et peccator... at the same time saint and sinner... they won't care whether we use bread or wafers for Holy Communion or whether our sanctuary has a big screen or not. They won't care if our worship music features a pipe organ, a mariachi band or we have drums or not. They won't care that Luther was smarter than Calvin or that we're praying God lifts up a visionary man to be the next pope or whether our nursery has a volunteer staff of parents or a paid attendant during worship and Sunday School. The won't care if we pray the Lord's prayer with 'sins' or 'trespasses' or in King James or modern English or Swedish, German or Aramaic. They just won't. They will want to know the answers to questions like ... "How did this happen?" "How long is this going to last?" and "What can be done to bring some calm to this storm?" And without saying or asking out loud they will be asking the two questions Dr. Rollie Martinson says are the 2 most intimate questions any man has... "Will there be anyone here for me?" and "Will God be here for me?" "For me?" ... that powerful prepositional phrase that can make all the difference in the quality of any man's life...

Prepositions. We use them all the time. Small words. Powerful words. Necessary words. Connectors. How will you help the men in your congregation and your world remain "UP" with God, "IN" with the Church and "OUT" with the world? And are you ready to walk into that bar for Jesus' sake? He won't want you to go alone, but Jesus does want you to go!

One man at a time; no man left behind!  You will want to share this with a friend...

Brian

 

P.S.  Comments and reactions to these thoughts are always welcome!

"Troubled Hearts Need Someone to Trust"

Jesus, we are told, had compassion on the people he met.  He loved them.  He was designed for that!  The description about Jesus and those good folks was that he felt as if they were like sheep without a shepherd; and on very basic sheep and shepherd playing field, this is dangerous turf.  Life and death kind of stuff, ok?  In Jesus' mind, the remedy was simple.  "Troubled hearts" needed someone to believe in.  This reality remains our reality.

 

In the 14th chapter of John's gospel Jesus told his disciples, "do not let your hearts be troubled.   Believe in the Father and also believe in me."  You remember, it's the 'many mansions" or "many rooms" passage reminding us that God's house is a big, big house and there's room for me and room for you and room for more than we can imaging.  Jesus is just that kind of host!  But, while many focus in on the believe in Jesus and believe in God portion of this text, I'm drawn to the open phrase... "do not let your hearts be troubled."  Here, Jesus seems to think that you and I have some sort of power to do this... and we do and the answer is clear... faith...our faith... Christ's faith... leads us to discover the grace that makes the difference.

 

I saw a short video clip the other day of a young teenage boy who was brave enough to tell his parents.."I don't believe in God anymore."  The scene was the kitchen table.  The son was half-turned facing his dad.  Mom was in the back shadows and the moment he declared his new freedom to be out on his own, the mother comes racing forward with a bellowing voice and says..."what the f%$#k do you mean you don't believe in God anymore?"  The boy was stoic.  "Well I just don't" came the reply.  Then mom barks in again.  "Ok, fine, then we're going to church EVERY Sunday for the rest of your life."  Still the son stood firm.  "How did you decide this? How could you change your mind?  You just had your Confirmation day only a month ago?" his mom continued the shout!  The boy remained calm and stated, "Well, I just don't."  To which the mom declared and got right up in his face with her extended pointer finger and said, "Well if you don't believe in God, then listen buster... there will be no Christmas for you!"  Take that scenario in again...

 

I was in a large room full of people when this video was shown.  There was a mix of laughter and groans.  Rightly so.  The room was filled with pastors, interns and youth ministers.  Lots of folks were focusing on the young man.  Many had obvious reactions to the mother's words and actions.  I sat with a deep sense of sadness watching the father of this young man and husband of this woman say absolutely nothing.  Not even a laryngal sound.  His body posture never budged.  No reaction whatsoever.  He might as well not even have been present in the room.  [NOTE:  A man's silence is not often his best friend nor an encourager to those around him].  I wasn't stunned, and not surprised.  Just sad.  This was just another example on a growing pile of reasons why men's ministry is so important to our families and our churches and the world.

Troubled hearts DO need someone to trust.  So, to all the KING's Men... the news is getting out... thank you....Others are asking the right questions... this ministry with and to and for men is ongoing and in a time of transition... AND from time to time... it is critical that we gather together to meet and talk.

 

A date has been set!  Some will be coming a short distance... others want to come the night before... so the plan now is to do both...

 

 There's a flyer sent to all our churches to print and post in high traffic areas and in the men's bathrooms at your church... help your pastor and staff get this done... FEB 22-23 is the Friday night and Saturday for our time to meet... and could even serve as a 'road trip' for our young college guys... keep reading...

 The agenda for "I AM GOD's OWN" will look like this...

• A Friday night pre-gathering @ Living Word from 6:00 pm - 10:30 ish (guys from longer distances are staying at hotels of their choosing near I 10 and Mason Rd.).  There will be pizza and beer/wine and some casual conversation... and then watch a movie (past years = Gran Torino and Frisco Kid) and share in a conversation for faith take-away. LMM has a new deck of cards called "Man Talk... which is good for poker, Hold'em, War, and other games but each card helps men engage in meaningful and sometimes risky conversation...  I also give thanks in advance The Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest for helping fund this pre-event!
 
• Saturday's agenda is stream-lined... breakfast...devotions... plus instead of a keynote speaker we will view the DVD documentary, "I AM" by Tom Shadyac and then have break-out sessions for some Lutheran 'talking points' . You will be encouraged and challenged by this news... 
• We are required to have a business meeting to elect officers and promo future gatherings and get a sense of some common purpose for our men via some work projects.
• Some 'after lunch' break-out sessions will include... "Spiritual Direction 101"... "Jump -Starting Your Men's Ministry" and "Men's ministry for the Long-Haul".
• We will also point to April's One Year to Live Event in South Carolina as well as a week-long training for pastors, youth ministers and leaders of men at TLU's Disciple Project the last week of June;
• A 'tools' table will be available with books and resources...
• EACH CONGREGATION WILL RECEIVE 2 COPIES OF THE SYNOD LMM HANDBOOK (REVISED)

NOTE:  Let's agree it's a difficult thing to get younger dads to come... but this will be of value for them... WORK YOUR CORNER OF THE KINGDOM! Also, as an incentive, our synod men will waive the registration fee and cover all meals for "college" men who take a 'road trip' to Katy... we will also place cash in their hands for 'mileage' as an acknowledgement of our commitment to them! Please let your college age men know!

 Down the road...OUR SYNOD will be hosting an LMM "One Year To Live" retreat (sweat lodge for Lutheran men) SEP 20-22, 2013 and will accept 12-15 men only @ the Camp Lutherhill hosted event...  If you have other questions, call me... 281.485.1818

 

The John 14 passage is most often read at funerals... not because it is a word for the dead... rather, this is THE WORD for the living... as we lead lives with untroubled hearts the KING's MEN will live with a deep faith and all others will see that in us and will follow, too!

 

Pray hard.  Love deeply.  Let grace work for you!

 

One man @ a time; no man left behind,

       Brian

 

                Coordinator for Gulf Coast Synod Men in Mission

LONGEVITY ISSUES---"Cranky Old Man Syndrome"

To All the KING'S Men...

Wanna live forever?  In a recent report it was noted that 'grumpy old men' live longer than men who demonstrate less crankiness from day to day.  You may know some.  You may be one!  Remember how Clint Eastwood grumped his way through life as Walt Kowalski in "Gran Torino" as well as the characters played by Jack Lemon and Walter Matthau in the movies by the similar name?  And who can forget the old codger Dana Carvey ( a good sinner/saint Lutheran boy!) for numerous Saturday Night Live episodes?  So, lately, from time to time, when I get called out for demonstrating a certain kind of crankiness, I just respond with a smile and say, "Sorry, I'm working on my longevity issues."  It can spark a good conversation.  I asked one of my older parishioners the other day... "As you've gotten older, how is your patience factor?"  He quickly responded, "LESS!"  Just a one word response!  He is in his 80's and works out no less than 3 times a week.  Hmmmm?  Maybe working out causes or at least contributes to the grump!
 

There's more.  There's actually a medical term for this behavior.  It's called IMS-- Irritable Male Syndrome.   Some, humorously, call it... OMS ... Old Man Situation!  Either way, it seems to be a real thing and is defined as ... are you ready for this... "a state of hypersensitivity, anxiety, frustration, and anger that occurs in males and is associated with biochemical changes, hormonal fluctuations, stress, and loss of male identity" ... at least according to a doctor from Edinburgh, Scotland!  So, just for fun... go back and re-read that last sentence with a bit of the Scottish brogue.  It may the only fun you get today!  But, here are the symptoms: Anger coupled with social withdrawal; Irritability; Hypersensitivity; Anxiety; Hot Flashes (not just for women anymore!); Mood swings; Depression; Lack of libido; Back and head aches.  So, this IS serious stuff as that is some list.

But, here's what I'm thinking... I can't do a lot about the natural biochemical changes in my body and I don't know much about hormones, but I can manage my stress in a number of ways and let me be clear... my male identity is not at the bottom of the 'lost and found' box in the church office.  My identity as a child of God, lover of creation, partner in the body of Christ and player in the KING'S men of our church is certain.  Very certain.

Grumpy, cranky, pissy or something in between, all my childhood friends have a bit of codger-ness growing inside of them  now.  I grew up in a tough neighborhood and we didn't live on the side of town where the boys wore suede shoes and had argyle sweaters!  We were all the sons of laborers...steel makers, welders, fabricators, carpet salesmen, one cop, some truck drivers, etc.  My dad drove the Wonder Bread truck and later became the groundskeeper at our newly opened high school.  There were kids all over the 8 blocks of my subdivision...enough boys to field 3 and sometimes 4 baseball teams--including the Farrell 'brothers'--Janet and Susan!  The men worked hard, loved hard making lots of babies, some drank a bit too much and some of them died too soon.  I said it was a tough neighborhood... I quit smoking in the 5th grade and none of the parents on my street divorced!  How's that for tough?  But, maybe the toughness we grew up with is now seeping out of us contributing to our daily demeanor.  Maybe.

The friends I had in high school, college and seminary are working on their longevity issues, too!  The guys I hung around with at Austintown-Fitch HS are all over the place now.  One is a pharmacist, one the local optometrist, another is a hospital administrator, one went into coaching then became a principal and finally a school superintendent.  One is an orthopedic nurse practitioner and another now owns an oil and gas company in the Texas hill country.  They have a friend who somehow survived himself and remains a Lutheran pastor.  We've all tried to be good citizens, productive  contributors in the big scheme of things.  My TLU Bulldog friends, mostly Omega Tau fraternity brothers can be guilty of that too.  Some are doctors, some are lawyers, some bankers, some businessmen, some are school teachers, some great salesmen, and some pastors all attempting to prove Martin Luther right as we seek to be involved in work that strengthens community, builds up giving back more than we were given.  Some of them are retiring, working on it or thinking about it.  The grumpiness I hear from them reflects  a certain kind of grief over some of the stuff they used to be able to do and now can't or they've tired of being dismissed by their children or grandchildren as these old guys are accused of just not understanding how life really is... Sheesh! So, maybe, it is the differing perspectives of the coming generations prompting our grumpiness. Or, maybe ...because we've been good score keepers of wins and losses and towards the end our losses just may be catching up with our wins and the risk of ending life in a 'tie' has never been acceptable.
 

And as for my seminary friends and colleagues... some have become great pastors, some are now teaching in the seminary and some have even been elected bishop or working on a synod staff... and whether they want to admit it or not...their graying hair or receding hair lines indicate they are not immune to an occasional grumpy rant... Grecian formula aside.  In fact, the obituary section of The Lutheran each month might persuade them to admit it as the majority of the pastors listed who have died in Christ were in their 80's or 90's and just for the record... according to the Bible...and in the powerful promises of our baptism... they do and we do ... get to live forever!

So, I'm claiming today as "Cranky Old Man" Day as there is lots which contributes to the outbursts of a grumpy moment AND it's never really the whole thing or totality of one's life... Be reminded, then, that all of us from time to time can work on our longevity issues and others will have to deal with us in the process... like the story about when an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in an Australian country town... it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.  Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, this poem was found. Its quality and content remain impressive...

                 The Cranky Old Man

What do you see nurses? . . . . .What do you see?
What are you thinking .. . when you're looking at me?
A cranky old man, . . . . . .not very wise,
Uncertain of habit .. . . . . . . .. with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food .. . ... . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . .'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . . .the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . .. . . A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not . . . ... lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . .The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking?. .Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse .you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am . . . . .. As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, .. . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . .with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters .. . . .. . who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen . . . .. with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now . . .. . . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . ..my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows .. .. .that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now . . . . .I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . .. . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . .. With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons .. .have grown and are gone,
But my woman is beside me . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, .. ...Babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me . . . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future ... . . . . I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing .. . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . . And the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man . . . . . . .. and nature is cruel.
It's jest to make old age . . . . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles .. .. . grace and vigour, depart.
There is now a stone . . . where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass . A young man still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells
I remember the joys . . . . .. . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . . . . life over again.
I think of the years, all too few . . .. gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people .. . . . .. . . open and see.
Not a cranky old man .
Look closer . . . . see .. .. . .. .... . ME!!

                                    (originally by Phyllis McCormack; adapted by Dave Griffith)

KING'S Men...

+ K now Christ!
+ I nvite others to join God's team!
+ N urture your faith through prayer, worship & daily Bible reading!
+ G ive your time & money supporting God's work in your church!'
+ ' ( ' = a sign of "possession" and it's about "belonging"---who we are and whose we are!)
+ S peak well of your pastor, family and the men in your life!

KING'S men...

   ...that's who we are... young and old, or in between, sometimes grumpy and always eternal!

   Brian

TX-LA Gulf Coast Synod Men's Ministry Coordinator

"THE DEPTH CHART" --Who's On The Team?"

"THE DEPTH CHART" --Who's On The Team?"

To All the KING's Men,

Do you recall the closing scene in the movie, Friday Night Lights?  The senior players were in the stadium parking lot sharing their farewells and good wishes.  Coach Gary Gaines, (played by Billy Bob Thornton) was in the locker room pulling the magnets with last year's team names and replacing them with those who were waiting to be called up next.  One season over; another unfolding. The 'depth chart' was changing once again.  Is there a lesson to be learned here for pastors and men?  Sure. Let's do it!

Who are the men in our churches?  How did they get there?  Why do we find ourselves rubbing shoulders with them season after season, year after year?  Why do they stay?  What is the 'worth-while-ness' of it all?  Do we have a need or desire to 'be perfect' as that high school coached schooled his players?   Jesus gives us a clue when he said, "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." (John 12:32 NIV) and since we believe this to be true, then we can blame him and then give thanks as we take a hard look to see what men God has drawn to the team.  Do we know who's there?  Who practices faithfully?   Who the leaders are?  What guys are really hungry to be 'in life's game?' Which guys are urging others to 'come and see' and come and play on God's team?  Do we really know, really?  Who's on the IR (injured reserve list?) needing to rest a bit and who's ready for a new position?  Do we even know how to prepare the team for the next opponent?  Do we let others in on who the opponent is?  And IF we can honestly say that 'every man in the congregation is part of our men's ministry,' (not just the ones who come to the breakfast on Saturday morning) then tending to our congregational depth chart will help us plan and execute an effective ministry with men and for men and those they love and live with!

For those who know me well, they can tell you that I quit playing organized football when I was in the 7th grade.  I never even played on the 8th grade team let alone the Varsity!  Now don't get me wrong; it wasn't because I was no good.  Truth be told, I was known to catch 30-40-60 yard touchdown passes and I had a strong foot allowing me the good fortune of punting a ball 72 yards once (well, there were witnesses to say God had a good wind at my back and the ball took a really, really good bounce!)  I quit because I liked playing basketball better and made one of those hard choices many boys have to make in large suburban high schools and that is sticking with one sport to get that chance to play.  I made mine, so I write this with no 'street cred' about football nuances except to say that much of the gleaning about the details listed here come from a conversation with Texas 5A State Championship Coach Tony Heath, head football coach at Pearland High School.  I've know him for 15 years and he coached two of my sons and as a faithful Christian man and leader of young men he was quick to help!

Coach Heath and I both agree there are great similarities to football teams, coaches and players and life and ministry in the church.  But, to make a full comparison will not serve the church in this generation well nor is my intent here to minimize the efforts and accomplishments of all involved in what we call Friday Night Lights in Texas or any other corner of God's Kingdom!  Despite life being brutal, full of hurt and pain, the goal of football and ministry is not to seek to harm another.  The values learned and lived out in the difficulty of the preparation and the moment to excel is what counts.  It's what Jesus said right after that promising comment of 'drawing all men to himself'...

“For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light,

so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not

 know where he goes. “While you have the Light, believe in the Light,

so that you may become sons of Light.”

Isnt' this a goal for us?  As men of faith?  To lift Christ up before one another?  To walk in his light and be Sons of Light?  To watch out for the 'darkness' in us and around us and tend to the work of ministry for this generation? Of course!  Even Martin Luther echoed this when he wrote...

  “It is the work and the glory of the ministry to make real saints out of sinners,

living souls out of the dead, saved souls out of the damned,

children of God out of servants of the devil.”

Seems like each generation has its task.  So, as the coach (and St. Paul) say... "today is the day of salvation.  It's our time; it's our turn."

Coach Heath runs a tight ship. He's earned the respect he has and is a good student of the game now serving as a mentor to many.  Many of his players have excelled in NCAA Division I, II and IIII college football and some are now even playing in the NFL. His motto is simple.  It includes words like 'teamwork,' 'respect,' 'dedication,' and 'giving everything one has for 48 full minutes!'  He tells parents at the "Introduce the Team' night... "If your son comes out and practices every day he will suit up for the game on Friday."  He means that.  He also reminds parents that the goal of football is to win the game and therefore guarantees no one will play except for the ones he thinks can help accomplish that goal.  So, Coach Heath's 'depth chart' includes everyone who shows up.  Like life in the church, there are no try-outs and no cuts from the roster.  Those who show up are on the team and anyone else who does and seeks to participate is as well!  We should all take note of that. God's men for mission and ministry are the ones who show up and the ones who God continues to draw into the walk and light of Christ!

So, here's how the local high school coach can help the pastor...recognizing that there are some huge distinctions that need to be noted...

Each season is unique.  No surprise here.  Any high school coach who hangs around a school district for 5-10-15 years as Coach Heath has knows that one day his 8th graders will be on the varsity and then a year or two later off to other goals and a new wave of players comes up.  Pastors who do the same may sense that this is true, too, even though many of our men may be on the varsity for 10-15-20 or more seasons.  And yet, as Coach Heath has a need to "bring people along" pastors and men's ministry leaders are smart to recognize this.  People die.  People move.  Spots open up on the roster and we need to know who's going to fill in and pick up the load.  Teamwork.  Dedication.  Patience.  Persistence.  These are words that work for us!

During the Spring drills Coach Heath tries to secure three lists on the depth chart.  Who will be the starting 11 on each side of offense and defense?  Who will be the 2nd wave?  And who will be the starters on the JV Maroon team?  This will be his "go to" guys.  Some players have jobs to lose as they had that position the year before and what the coaching staff will look for is that one or two or three guys who will surprise them because of their off-season work and find a way to play.  The JV team, normally made up of sophomores, will be the 'go to' players over the next two years. 

Coach Heath also sees the success of the Jr. Hi teams as a reflection of the overall program.  How well they do will show up four to fives years later.  I find this an interesting note.  In a congregation like mine, that "Jr Hi" squad would be our HS and college age boys and young men.  This has deep implications for our overall Youth and Family Ministry network and ministry for the long haul. What are we doing for the young men in our churches to help prepare them for the faith work that stands in front of them?   NOTE: I was at the 2006 ELCA National Youth Gathering in San Antonio and attended the 'Father/Son+Men/Boys' breakout session.  We met for about 90 minutes and there was no mention of Lutheran Men in Mission or any pointing to LMM's Master Builder's Bible as a tool for faith development.  So, this is not just a local thing.  It's a opportunity for each pastor and synod leader to address.

Part of the working of the depth chart includes introducing the players to the 'language' and 'concepts' of the team.  The Bible speaks of this in images of 'milk' and 'meat.'  Younger players learn certain plays and particular schemes and formations.  Each year more info is added and each year the ones who do the work get rewarded with playing time.  Unlike the church, if a player misses a block or a tackle, his replacement comes in to do better on the very next play.  When that happens for men in the church, we exercise a certain kind of grace and forgiveness and take the necessary time to teach or re-mind the value of what we are trying to accomplish.  Just the for the record ... I've never kicked a guy out of church for refusing to 'feed the hungry' even though Jesus made it clear it is always on our 'to do' list as Christians... all of us... no exceptions.  Hopefully, like on that football team, others will follow along the actions of the leadership and do what leaders do.  Good behavior is contagious.

Someone close to me once said, "I can't teach what God didn't give."  How true.  I will never be a rocket scientist or a ballerina... so included in the working of the depth chart of ministry is knowing skills people have and what influences they are able to make.  One guy may not be able to sing in Praise Band, but certainly could pay for the bass player to make the band a bit more tight.  Get it?  My sons learned that posture playing football at PHS.  Kenneth played defense, even though he wanted to be a wide receiver.  The coaches found out in 8th grade he couldn't catch and moved him to DE where he found a home a few accolades to go with it.  Nathan wanted to be a DE like his brother but the coaches learned that he was smart and wouldn't forget the plays run in from the sidelines.  So, he played wide receiver and used his wide arm span and strong legs to catch passes and to block the safety so the fast RB could score a touchdown.  In men's ministry we find out what people can do and then help them do it well by placing them in arenas of life where their gifts are best-needed.  Here's the classic example of how we blow that in churches.  We find a guy who owns his own plumbing company and we put him on the church council to be in charge of the 'property committee.'  What's wrong here is that the man OWNS his own company and instead he should be groomed to be the congregational president to help keep the unity and harmony of the congregation in tact!  So, the hard question is... 'As pastors and as leaders of men, do we really know our men and what they do?"  That's a meeting all by itself. Get out your magnetic name tags!

I'm getting to the end here... well, actually, I hope this will be a beginning for most... and that is to say there is plenty for us to do as men devoted to the mission of Christ.  Our churches are not and can't be the local high school football team.  And yet there are certain lessons to glean!  And it goes like this...

• All are welcome!  For those who have been given much; much will be required! There are guys we know who resist God's call.  There are men we know who take seriously God's call when it is convenient for their own life and agenda.  There are men we know who are willing to lay down their lives and die (that is what Jesus was really talking about in John 12!) for another?  There are men who are willing to teach others and so we provide them the means and events to do just that!  We know men who are on the IR list as they are 'hurting' and broken for all kinds of reasons.  They, too, are welcome and needed for even in our brokenness we have value in God's eyes...
• The are no 'try-outs' or 'cuts' on God's team.  The skinny guy who is slow and short of stature may not get the full ride to Ohio State (my safe choice!), but he may be the guy who keeps the star out of trouble and brings a certain kind of humility to the team! All of us have been blessed with gifts to share!
• We all need to practice.  We all need to show up for practice.  Christian learning is life-long learning!  Can we help those who show up for practice be a bit more 'perfect' than they were the day before?  Who will hold each man accountable? The pastor?  The men?  The mission?  God?  Self?  All of the above.
• Leaders gain trust and are identified.  They also need a blessing.  Do we acknowledge the men in our congregations who excel?  Should we have Societies of St. Joseph the Worker for men who go beyond the call of duty?  Should we create a Society of St. Nicholas for those who demonstrate a certain kind of generosity toward those who have less?  Just asking.
• Our success will be determined by identifying the opponent!  Our work is holy, Godly and necessary!  We love God, ourselves and our neighbor... with all our heart and strength and mind. We protect the children.  We respect those older than us.  We seek justice, kindness and mercy for those in need.  We are not at odds with God, ourselves or other men.  Faithlessness, greed, laziness, narcissism, selfishness, apathy remain high on the list of what we are 'versing' each day... work for each of us internally and around us. Men's ministry is not about a Saturday morning breakfast and Bible study.  That's just the 'training meal.'  It helps and pushes us to deeper things.  Men's ministry is daily and eternal.  Men discover the joy of God's path as they pay attention finding value in practicing the verbs pray, worship, study, invite, encourage, give and serve.  A life-time of attending to those seven verbs will shape a man's life and create a legacy that others will want to emulate.  Trust that.

My hope for all our congregations is simple.  Tend to this work. Tending to it year-round!  Pastors, find 7-10 men who will help and lead others.  Here's your varsity.  They may not be there forever, so bring along some others.  See this as 'generational' work.  You may not actually have magnetic name tags, but this group of men should be able to help you find out who and how the men are on your congregational list.  Maybe you even have a 'prospect' list of men who have been attending worship at your church with family or friends.  They should be included.  Jesus has drawn them to you.  They showed up.  It won't take you long to prayerfully discern who is on the list of men you can 'go to'... the ones you count on.  There will be men they know who may not be so excited about this work... but they can be engaged and invited as well. One man at a time; no man left behind as we say... And the best pastoral work we can do for men is to identify the men who are 'hurting.'  You know them by their stripes.  The guy who is getting divorced. They guy who just got fired.  The guy having prostate cancer surgery.  The guy whose daughter just ran off with her boyfriend at college.  The guy who is the only child and his mom died just a few months before Mother's Day... you get it...

So, let's comit ourselves to do this 'depth chart' work.  It's a place to start.  It's the place to start!  Jesus has shown us the value already... he started with 12, one quit the team and it took two candidates to replace him.  Paul showed up in Jerusalem as a 'walk on' and he added some of his friends to the team...Silas, Timothy, etc...  the rest is history... and now it's our turn.  It's our time. 

Thank you for your work!

    Brian

"Vince Lombardi
Could Have Been a Lutheran"

2.2.11

So, you liked the movie 'Groundhog Day?'  Bill Murry? Repetition?  Redundancy?  Deja Vu?  Well, whether we like it or not...there are some things we just must do over and over... and to be specific about the Christian faith...there are some things that we find ourselves doing over and over and when we do we call that "practicing our faith" so that when the occasion arise when we need to USE our faith... we have a faith to use! 

And if we go to the coaching world, we will find the value of repetition in some the great quotes of the great Green Bay Packer coach, Vince Lombardi.  Look carefully, coach could have been a Lutheran... that is if your geography teacher will allow you to stretch northern Italy all the way to southern Bavaria...or that there might have been plenty of Wisconsin Lutherans in VL's neighborhood!

Consider the wisdom of "Coach" ... 

ON TEAMWORK

• “The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.”
• “People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.” or
• “Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”

ON COMMITMENT

• “Once a man has made a commitment to a way of life, he puts the greatest strength in the world behind him. It’s something we call heart power. Once a man has made this commitment, nothing will stop him short of success.”
• “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”

DISCIPLINE

• “I’ve never known a man worth his salt who, in the long run, deep down in his heart, didn’t appreciate the grind, the discipline."
• “There is something good in men that really yearn for discipline.”
• “The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It’s your mind you have to convince.”

LEADERSHIP 

• “Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.”
• “It is essential to understand that battles are primarily won in the hearts of men. Men respond to leadership in a most remarkable way and once you have won his heart, he will follow you anywhere.”
• “Leadership is based on a spiritual quality --- the power to inspire, the power to inspire others to follow.”

FAITH

• “I believe in God.”
• “I derived my strength from daily mass and communion.”

Did you catch that last quote... deriving his strength from daily mass and Eucharist-- the power of God that comes to him not from inside...but outside!  Most Lutheran churches I know don't hold daily Eucharist services...but it's obvious to guys like me that VL knew the value of living in the rhythm of confession and forgiveness and reaching his hands out to the passion of God in order to use such an extraordinary power to lead others... aka 'the means of grace' which changes the world...

If we take the 'football' life quotes and translate them into Lutheran Church and Christian journey mantras we see quickly how our church and how our Lutheran Men in Mission can be strengthened and focused in ways we have yet to discover... so take advantage of those great faith behaviors we share...

 + PRAY + WORSHIP + STUDY + INVITE + + ENCOURAGE  GIVE + SERVE +

When I read between the lines, I see in VL the understanding that every man has been given all the gifts necessary to do well in life and that these gifts are given to us in BAPTISM...remember in the Nicene Creed we call the Holy Spirit..."the Lord and Giver of Life"... and the good news for people like us is that we get to spend a lifetime discovering what those gifts are... perhaps it's part of the gift of Jesus when he said, "I have come to give you life... and life of abundance..."

So here's to Groundhog Day!  Here's doing good things over and over that in that repetition of good things we find ourselves at our best being strong and serving the world in Jesus' name...

We're down to less than 2 weeks to get our men signed up to attend the gathering in Brenham...

Here's the link to register on line and the listing the agenda...

      http://txlamen.org/

Housing for Friday night is at the Coach Light Inn...     http://www.coachlightinnbrenham.com/

 One man at a time; no man left behind,
 
    Brian 

CHRISTMAS TIME'S INCONVENIENCE

TO ALL THE KING'S MEN...

Guys, our place in God's kingdom is powerful...let's pray with the Blind Boys from Alabama..."Lord, help me find my proper place..."  Men, our work in Christ's Church is urgent, important and necessary...let us pray with Peter Mayer... "Lord, stir up the water in  our souls... let the light come in the darkness...come and make us whole..."  Men our witness is daily...let us pray with Jesus..."Father, your kingdom come; your will be done..."  The world needs our prayers; needs our work.  We need to pray for each other... our work is better done together...

We are coming to the days of Christmas.  It can go a lot of ways for us.  Our culture has taken the core meaning of Christmas and marketed away its soul.  Long lines.  Bargains galore.  Fist fights in the mall parking lot over a rectangle of concrete.  Overextended credit card purchases wear on our shoulders weeks and months into the coming year.  Way too much eating and drinking.  Our senses and our feet are numb and the celebration of Jesus' birth comes to us as an intrusion to our personal merry-making.  We've lost touch with the voices of the angels, the mystery of God-in-the-flesh and this year...Pampers is selling diapers to the words of "Silent Night."  How will Christmas go for you?  Perhaps a good question to ask first, though, is this:

Why Men’s Ministry?

The data is startling. Only one out of every 18 men in our culture is churched. Imagine that 18 men went out to the local sandlot to play America’s favorite past-time and only 1 of the 18 men actually knew how the game of baseball is played. Only 1 knows the order of the base path. Only 1 knows what the glove, ball, bat and helmet are for. Only one man knows how to keep score and for how long.

What do we see? Bedlam?  Chaos? Mayhem?  Of course.  Misunderstanding of purpose. Men running the wrong direction; some sitting in the bleachers. Men wearing gloves on their heads and others chasing each other with bats and throwing balls at one another. Eighteen men. Only one man knows how the game is played. No coach. It’s no wonder that so many find church a difficult place to be.

For every 10 men…

• 9 will have children leave the church;
•  8 will not have a satisfying job;
•  6 will make minimum payment on credit cards;
•  5 will have major pornography issues;
•  4 will divorce impacting 1 million children

Staggering?  Some are surprised; others not.  Is this the last word?  Certaianly not...espeically for men like us...KING'S men...

     K now Christ;
     I  nvite others to "come and see;"
     N urture the relationships we have as Jesus' friends;
     G row your faith via worship, study and prayer;
     '  ...remember always to whom you belong...
     S erve Christ's Church in the world generously via your time and treasure   

Some would advocate that in order to get the world right, we need to get the church right; and in order to get the church right, we need to get families right; and in order to get the families right we need to get marriages right; and in order to get marriages right we need to get the men right...and Jesus is the one who gets it right for us...so, men’s ministry IS Godly work!  That's also why we can say..."one man at a time; no man left behind!"

So, how will it go for you this Christmas?  Will Christmas be an intrusion?  Is this time of year an inconvenience to our already busy lives?  Is Christmas an intrusion that just ups the ante on our already stressed out days and fractured and fragile relationships?  Is Christmas the time we cringe when we get a sugary sweet greeting when deep down inside ourselves we know that we have played house, played games,  faked our way through another day and used the ancient masks to hide behind so others will not know those things deep inside our hearts that scare us to death and prod us to do and say things that only lead to a lifetime of regret?

Well, be of good cheer.  Christmas IS an inconvenience!  Christmas IS an intrusion! Jesus IS God's surpise insurgent of love and grace into our lives...described by St. Paul as a "stumbling block!"  Not just can be...IS... Why?  Everyone will bump into Jesus eventually and have to decide what to do...  and it's always been that way...

Check out the players as first recorded in the Gospels... How was Christmas for them?  Here's a list of the men in the Christmas story and in each case the entry of Jesus into the world pushed them out of their own comfort place requiring them to act differently than they thought they would on that particular morning...

• JOSEPH -  had a plan.  He had set up house and was living with Mary, his betrothed.  Then he finds out about a baby that is on the way and  he knows like Maury Povich says, "Joseph, you are NOT the father!" and has to have God's angel come to convince him to not dismiss his bride to be.  And if that isn't enough, the local city leaders send the message that he has to take his family from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be enrolled in the Roman census.  Road trip!  No Amtark.  Nice.
• The Inn Keeper -- now here's a guy who finishes Holiday Inn Express Manager's training and is given the job of being the new innkeeper in Bethlehem.  That's like the boss telling you, "we're world wide" and when you hear you are going to be "around Houston" you find out that you are the new manager at Holiday Inn in Danbury.  I think he was spoofin' Joseph when he said, "I have no more room."  His place was normally empty, but with the enrollment this new found opportunity to make a buck was just the ticket... actually, he was content to have a full house and now could relax... and saying 'there was no room in the inn' was an announcement of success!  Though Joseph is disheartened; he pressed.  The innkeeper gives in.  Two little inconvenienced men.  Really nice.  But, look around...God winked and Mary smiled.
• Herod -- the King of Judea...just got back from his winter palace at Masada at the Dead Sea and is busy packing to head to his summer home at Herodian, half way between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.  Life is good when you are the king... until 3 visitors come and ask the big question..."where is the king?"  Huh? Herod was the king.  Now Jesus' entry on to the scene causes a certain paranoia prompting him eventually to send soldiers to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem under the age of 3.  Now there's a thorough and sick guy.  Herod the Great my eye...
• The Magi --aka 'the wise men.'  They were.  They took flight and followed a star.  Try 'splaining that to the young boys along the road.  They irked Herod and yet found time to bring gifts to the real King... the angel comes to them and says, "you better go home a different way" ...inconvenience all the way around but most likely saved their lives...
• The Shepherds ---now here's a group of guys where inconvenience is a pleasure trip... shepherds were equal in status to 'garbage collectors' in our day.  Junior high drop outs at best being paid little for a job no one really wants to do.  But, hey, sheep are important... somebody's got to watch them---garbage piles stink...but, someone has to pick up the trash... so, these guys get the night off...and not just one angel...but a choir of angels tell them that God is up to something BIG...and despite a change of venue... they dare not miss it!  They didn't!  When was the last time you sang a song in church about a garbage collector?
• The Soldiers--- we cannot not say anything about the soldiers... the ones called to protect the king and his family.  Protecting them from tyrants, treasonists and conspirators maybe...but not babies...not infants... how sad and inconvenienced the soldiers must have felt when they got orders to kill ALL the baby boys in Bethlehem and...when they got to Bethlehem...the babies' fathers?  What of them?  What did the fathers of the little boys do...what could they do???...

So, men, welcome to Christmas time... KING'S men... enter these holi-days with courage and hope...your life may not be exactly like theirs but we are no different than the men in the first Christmas story... including this one reality... the inconvenient words God speaks to his son, Jesus...."it's time; now is the time..." and  peace, freedom and grace come to town... the love of the parent... inconvenient but necessary... Love is that way... St. John said it this way... "For God so LOVED the world that he gave..."  And so this moment and time when Christmas's inconvenince is thrust upon us...it it the very thing we celebrate...as this story makes all the difference in how all the other stories of our lives unfold...

This is God's work; our hands. Holy days...  A joyful Christmas time to you all...may you see your inconvenience as gift and as the very ministry to others the world so desperately seeks...

One man at a time; no man left behind,

    Brian