Mission, According to Jesus

Reading some interesting stuff on the internet concerning the church in contemporary society. One author points out : "Jesus Christ used salt and light as metaphors of the influential characteristics of His church in the world. Historically, salt has always been a valuable commodity used, among other things, as an antiseptic to withdraw infection. ... Likewise, the presence of the church in the world is Christ's antiseptic to sin, an influence of God's righteousness that tends to displace the infection of evil."

This is a fresh perspective on a very old metaphor. And as I think on it, I believe the writer is right. I have seen examples where a healthy church that is influencing its community has a real (often measurable) affect upon it. In addition to things like repaired family relationships and restored marriages, there are other more "social" changes. The least of these was a reduction in crime rate.

One may choose to argue about such statistical changes and attempt to attribute it to something other than the influence of a church. But when many of those former criminals are discovered IN the church ... that is having become an active member, the reason behind change becomes quite obvious. This is 'regeneration' in its most primitive form.

So are we (the church) salt and light? Take a look around next meeting. Who's sitting next to you?

1913 Bi-Autogo

For all my biker friends in cyberspace, you just gotta check this one out. Its gotta be the most bizarre looking motorcycle ever built. And "yes" it has retractable training wheels (wood) for stopping at those pesky intersections -when you can't easily slide over to get a foot down.

In original condition, its pretty rough - but all there. This machine is definitely a work of artistic design and craftsmanship. It was a prototype, so as far as I can tell "its one-of-a-kind." And in "the day", it was SOME KIND of hotrod! Somebody wanted to go fast, cause they slipped the biggest motor they could find in it. That's something like putting a blown hemi in the trikes of today. And on wooden spokes and tire rims ... no less!

This ride is currently on display in the Owls Head Transportation Museum (www.ohtm.org) in Owls Head, Maine - along with lots of other choice antiques. The museum has an AWESOME Vintage Motorcycle Meet the first weekend in September, and people come from everywhere. The area literally becomes a biker-town over night, with a good deal of old stuff running up and down the streets.

September is my favorite month in Maine ... EXCELLENT riding on the coast that time of year. If your interested in coming up, put that scooter in gear! Join hundreds of bikes and go for a scenic ride ... and DEFINITELY check out the Bi-Autogo.

Pray for New England

Reverse the Order

Awesome Architecture

The Burj Khalifa is twice as tall as the Empire State Building and towers above the City of Dubai. This "world's tallest building" is nothing short of an architectural masterpiece. And to think it is right on the ocean and will have to withstand all the maritime winds and foul weather is truly amazing. As one whom has dabbled in construction work, I can only begin to comprehend what went into building this monumental structure. Its really beyond me to imagine it.

With that I would say, these workers pictured below must have nerves of steel! The title of the picture was "The Last Panel". Boy! ... the pucker factor must have been high that day. Those yellow safety belts might have been to keep them from floating off into space instead of falling to the ground. And I'm surprised they didn't need supplemental oxygen up there.






















There is a restaurant on the top floor being advertised. I would think the view is quite good. The question I have is, "Could I get over a queezy stomach to enjoy a meal up there"? AND ... can I see the Space Shuttle's docking station from my table?

Wintah is back!

Yuh, 'wintah' is back! Its one of those days (weekends) in Maine when I pace around the homestead trying to keep from thinking about the fact that I am pretty-much "encarcerated" for a while; giving up the freedom to come and go as I please. The walls start closing in and the house feels 'smaller' this time of year.

I remember when -in years gone by, I longed for an unexpected day off like this. The demands of two jobs and requirements of a good deal of volunteer work kept me running steady. And there was the challenging responsibility of parenting my three children. That was in South Florida where the weather never really changes your plans, and days run into weeks with a constant and uninterrupted flow of the time line.

But all that has changed now. The kids are grown and out on their own (thank God). And now Josey & I call the extreme Northeast; "home". So I spent the morning digging out the vehicles and clearing the driveway of snow - just in case there is a pressing reason to risk my life out on the roads. Funny thing is, its so often redundant. The fact is, its supposed to snow all day and I'll probably be digging again in a matter of a few hours.

On the positive side, I can get caught-up on some of the unfinished tasks. As a pastor, "planning" for the church is a constant need - but one in which I never seem to feel content. Along with weekly sermon prep and othere regular responsibility, there is an on-going requirement to envision the future and put actions plans into place. Then there is the requirement of planning how to communicate and motivate for action. All this 'stuff' requires a tremendous amount of energy (unnoticed by most people) and a good deal of time. I suppose I could ignore most of it and still draw a paycheck. But that's not me ... and its certainly not good leadership.

So, "This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it" ... and PLAN! ;-)

An Old Connection

Today I got re-connected with some wonderful memories of the past.

Back in the 80's I had friends in South Florida who were native Jamaicans. On a vacation and visit to the homeland, they discovered one of the orphanages was is in tremendous need of help. Upon their return they rallied a few of us to return with them and help out.

A small group (I think 8) made a trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica with this couple, and made our way in a rental van up the mountain to Blossom Gardens. What we discovered was nothing short of emotionally"devastating". Somewhere I have a VHS video of our arrival, and every time I watch the video brings me to tears.

During our stay in Jamaica, we were able to repair plumbing (fix toilets), rebuild a gate (to keep free-roaming livestock out), and install their very first electric clothes washer for all the diapers (previously washed by hand). We made about 60 children and a few staff workers very happy. People there were not resistant to our help like the typical American. They welcomed us with open arms (literally). We all cried several times during our visit. It was a life-changing experience. And I will never forget it!