Stories

A few months ago a song popped into my memory, but all I could remember were a few lines -
Tell me a story, tell me a story, tell me a story, then I'll go to bed.
Tell me about the birds and bees
How do you make a chicken sneeze
Tell me a story, then I'll go to bed.
I remember it from when I was about 4 years old. I think it was a 78 record (yes, younger people, there is such a thing as a 78 record). As an adult, that's all I can remember. But, whenever I would bring up the song as an adult, my mom could sing all the words. Now that's she's gone, so is the rest of the song. That's what I thought. Until I looked it up on youtube - technology is unbelievable. I found it. Here it is.



Just listening to that brought great memories of my mom and dad.

The other day I read this on a Starbucks cup:
"Stories are gifts - Share"

Although our 40 Days of Love campaign is a month in the past, what I valued the most about it was hearing other people's stories. Everybody has a story, a life full of events that make up their story. When someone begins to share their story, you know they have let you into their life. You begin to see "more" of them. It's almost like when Dorothy opens the door and walks in to Oz - it turns from sepia to technicolor. It's what made Celebration Sunday special to me - listening to bits of stories from people. Since we had almost 100 people in small groups, that means there were a lot of stories being told over the 40 days.

That's what makes small groups invaluable to the fellowship of Kinoole. It enables each person to connect in deeper ways than an hour on Sunday morning will allow.
That's what is described in 1 Corinthians 13.

Benefits

Here's the scripture references for the benefits of membership as preached and promised this morning.
The benefits of membership:
1. It identifies a person as a genuine believer. Ephesians 2:19, Romans 12:5
2. It provides a spiritual family to support and encourage you in your walk with Christ.
Galatians 6:1-2; Hebrews 10:24-25
3. It gives you a place to discover and use your spiritual gifts in ministry. 1 Cor.
12:4-27
4. It places you under the spiritual protection of godly leaders. Heb. 13:17; Acts
20:28-29
5. It gives you the accountability you need to grow. Eph. 5:21

Think again

This facebook stuff is fascinating. I chatted with Robert this morning. He’s a seminary student that I’ve known all his life. He was the first baby I ever saw dedicated when I was new on staff at Kinoole. I called him Bobby.

And tonight was the Enrichment Program’s family night marking the end of the summer. It was a good program. This was the 35th summer of the EP. Makes me think of all the summers gone by, all the kids and all the staff. You come to the end of the summer tired, but loving each young life – kids and staff.

About 3 weeks ago I was in the doctor’s office with a fever. The nurse gave me the test for the flu. As she was doing this, she asked where I worked. When she found out where, she said she went to our preschool when she was 3-4 years old. But, she didn’t remember who was her teacher.

There have been times over the past 35 years when my arrogance takes over and I think I’ve been so influential in kids’ lives. Most of the time I am very aware of how inconsequential my influence has been. When I see where these kids & staff (most of the staff were students and students in transition) have ended up in life, the choices they have made in life, I realize what the reality is. The truth is parents are the greatest influence.

And then there is a “Bobby”. Growing up in the church. There he is on 25 year old video, in the front line of the ep family night singing his heart out. And despite all the ups and downs of growing up, there he is in seminary, responding to God’s call and chatting with you on facebook. Makes you think again.

I guess most of the years in ministry is less about my influence on others and more about God’s influence on me – the sanding down of my rough edges, the heat that makes the impurities of my character float out. It is more about obedience on my part, faith & trust issues between God and me. Less about me, more about him. Humility. Humility = U b 4 me.

Perspective

I remember the scene from the movie "City Slickers" about 'best day' and 'worst day.' It reminds me about perspective. I read an article the other day entitled "A Believer's Last Day, His Best Day" that summarized a sermon written by Thomas Brooks, a Puritan pastor (here - you can read it, too - http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/thepastinthepresent/classicfaithformoderntimes/abelieverslastday.html). So, seven years ago today was Mom's best day. It may not have been a good day for me, but it was her best day. Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Perspective.

Twenty-eight, Thirty-two

It slipped by me. I just realized it's February. Feb. 1, 1977, I started at Kinoole. Feb. 8, 1981, I was ordained. 32 years at Kinoole. 28 years on an adventure. I didn't even remember the exact date of the ordination. I had to look in my Bible. Feb. 8, 1981, was a Sunday.

And 28 years later, Feb. 8, 2009, was a Sunday. I was in a car on my way to Simi Valley with Aldie, talking about the ministry, about pastors and the pitfalls & bumps of ministry. 28 years ago I would never have imagined that I would be in a car with a nephew talking about the ministry. When I think about it now, I wish I could pass on to him all the stuff I've learned the hard way. I wish it were like syncing your ipod - drag and drop. Yes - I finally learned how to put a song on my ipod.

THE WEDDING

Ok. Here's the pictures from Denise's wedding.
























We all had a great time. What great memories. Spending the weekend with Layne, Aldie and Jamie made me feel a lot younger, especially on the freeways of LA. Denise and Dowd, here's to you - banzai!

On the back burner

Layne got a new set of pots for the kitchen on the day he left to go back to CO right after Christmas. He said it was "time." Grandma's old pots were old. The bottoms were curved and didn't sit flat on the stove. How could you cook well with pots like that? (Who cooks anyway?) So we took out all the old pots and he reorganized the cabinet. Gave me instructions for the rest of the kitchen as he packed to leave. All mom's pots are in boxes waiting for the garage sale. Most of them she got as wedding gifts, I think.

But there's one pot that's hard to let go. All the meals cooked in that pot for us - stew, spaghetti, nishime, curry stew. I thought about pulling that one out of the box and giving it to Jamie for a wedding present. Maybe with something planted in it. Or dedicated to some other use. Maybe then it will be useful again.

It's a good thing human beings are valuable not only for their usefulness, but more so for their presence. Just being around. Just like Grandma, sitting at the back of the church in her wheelchair - just smiling.