Randy Wray’s Blog

The interesting thing about two people working through or reading the same book is that they will both choose to emphasize different things. Not on purpose, necessarily, but invariably we will relate to differing thoughts.

Like observers at an accident scene, we are going to have our different points of view. Not that we would disagree with the viewpoint of the other, it’s just that we will notice different things. Hair color, height, how the jacket didn’t go with the pants, oh and they were driving too fast.

From Henri Nouwen’s The Return of The Prodigal Son:

At issue here is the question: “To whom do I belong? To God or to the world? Many of my daily preoccupations suggest that I belong more to the world than to God. A little criticism makes me angry, and a little rejection makes me depressed. A little praise raises my spirits, and a little success excites me. It takes very little to raise me up or thrust me down. Often I am like a small boat on the ocean, completely at the mercy of its waves. All the time and energy I spend in keeping some kind of balance and preventing myself from being tipped over and drowning shows that my life is mostly a struggle for survival: not a holy struggle, but an anxious struggle resulting from the mistaken idea that it is the world that defines me.

I wish I could say “I read this and thought others needed to hear these words this morning.” I read this and thought “I sure needed to hear these words this morning.” I’m processing through the ways in which the words I hear toss my boat around on the worldly waves of identity.

Highs and lows in my life come Sunday to Sunday. One day you are the hero the next day you are the goat. I say to myself, “don’t worry about, what difference does it make what someone else says?” Nice, rational argument perhaps but I know very well the difference it makes. “Great message today, one of your best,” and my spirits raise. “If the elders would bring back (name of a former preacher) I would start coming back to church,” (yes, an actual comment) and I get angry. “The Saturday Night Praise was so much fun, it was too short,” and I get excited about the success. “We don’t like what you’re doing . . .” and I get depressed.

I remember a time in my life where my focus was completely centered around God’s reaction to what I was doing. I think in many ways I have drifted from this core principle:

Colossians 3:23-24 (NCV) In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people. Remember that you will receive your reward from the Lord, which he promised to his people. You are serving the Lord Christ.

My immediate challenge is to refocus my efforts and my energy so that my service and ministry, my gifts and abilities are God directed. If I truly want success and praise for His glory, and I do, I need to continue doing the best that I can – working in such a way as if for the Lord. I need to remember that serving others is serving the Lord Christ.

My copy of The Return of The Prodigal arrived yesterday. Wait, I could not, to dive in and read. I tore open the package and read through the first 80 pages. I have three initial observations this far.

First, You should read whatever book Steve happens to be reading or has read. In fact, for the upcoming new year let’s all make a list of the 10 books we should all read next year.

Second, The impetus for this book was Henri Nouwen’s fascination and identification with Rembrandt’s painting The Return of The Prodigal Son. His journey began by seeing a poster of the painting. His inspiration came from sitting in the presence of the actual painting for hours in the hermitage at St. Petersburg.

My second observation led quickly to my third observation. I immediately thought of a print that is hanging on the wall in my office. It is a small replica of Daniel In The Lion’s Den by Sir Peter Paul Reubens. The actual piece is massive (7 feet by 10 feet) and is on display at the National Gallery of Art. It’s a print that I have just now realized speaks a great deal to my own feelings and perspective on life in ministry.

In the same way Nouwen identifies with and is fascinated by The Prodigal Son, I identify with and am fascinated by Daniel In The Lion’s Den. That should make an interesting topic for further exploration.

Be courageous, be persistent, be diligent as a mouse.

My office is located in the basement of the church. There are some freeway entrances and exits specifically suited for vermin. A while back when I had previous mice problems it was suggested to stuff the holes with steel wool. “They can’t chew through steel wool” the said. They were wrong.

A couple of days ago, while I was hard at work, (okay I was reading your blogs) I heard sounds coming from the wall. A critter was making his way through the steel wool. Now I had a front row seat of my very own episode of MYTHBUSTERS. This myth has definetly been busted.

Saturday, I’m sitting at my desk retrieving a file from my computer and a mouse goes running across the floor. Obstacle # 1 (the steel wool) has been conquered. I did see that the mouse dropped a tiny pair of wire cutters on his dash across the open terrain.

Sunday, the mouse has discovered my bag of fish food knocked it off on to the floor and has begun chewing through the bag.

Monday, time to get serious and catch a mouse. Having had success in previous episodes of mouse trapping I resorted once again to the trap and the dab of peanut butter.

Tuesday, outwit, outlast, outplayed. This morning both traps have been sprung, the peanut butter is gone and there is no mouse.

I sat down at my computer to blog about a meaningful spiritual topic when my peripheral vision catches something to my right. Seated directly on top of my CPU (which is on my desk) is the mouse. The mouse knows I am in the room, knows that I can see him and is just looking right at me. I swear to you by whatever oath the rescuers take this mouse was telling me “hey, why don’t you just put the peanut butter on a spoon and forget all this cloak and dagger stuff. Give peace a chance. Can’t we all just get along?”

I put my gloves on and scooped him into a bucket. What happened next I have been sworn to secrecy not to disclose. I’ll just say this “I work with an individual you don’t want to tangle with.”

I guess this means I’ll save the super spiritual blog for tomorrow.

I hold to the position that the Holy Spirit is active and at work in the lives of God’s people today. I disagree with those who maintain that the work of the Holy Spirit is confined only to the Bible. Let me give you an example of the recent work of the Holy Spirit.

I preached (part two) of a sermon series from John 10 focusing on abundant life. My aim was to show what Jesus really had in mind with the words “I came to give life–life in all its fullness.” I tried to emphasize the idea of this passage being an abundant spiritual life not an abundant physical life.

I wrestled with the question of prosperity being a blessing from God. Physical abundance for many is more of a burden than a blessing. God’s purpose for us in this life is not that we spend our time building bigger barns. That was the general theme of the message.

Our small group lesson for last night was chosen weeks ago by our associate minister and I had not looked at the lesson for the week. I had no idea that the lesson last night was taken from Luke 12:16-21, regarding the man who had a great crop and set about to build bigger barns.

The children’s class yesterday morning is part of a curriculum series that had been chosen long ago. I had no idea that the lesson for the children that morning was also taken from Luke 12:16-21. It seems God had a message for all of us to hear.

I pray for this direction and guidance in sermon preparation. The activity of the Holy Spirit is not always evident in such coordinated fashion. It sure is encouraging when his work is so evident.

It actually works. No kidding, it does. The kids wore their pajamas inside out and backwards last night. They slept on the opposite side of the bed. They did the snow dance and shazaam! No school today because of all the snow which fell last night.

I wonder if it will work on other nights of the week? You know, like Saturday night?

We took Madison yesterday to get her ears pierced. She’s been wanting to do this for a while and we decided that during the winter (off season) was probably the best time since they can’t wear jewelry during softball games. It’s not just the decision, it’s when to implement the decision. She’s really happy. I assured her it would sting but not hurt all that much. Don’t ask me how I know. We also made her promise that she would limit the piercings to her ear. She had to promise no other bodily piercings. You can hold an eleven-year-old to promises she made while being eleven, right?

Today is normally my day off and Beth’s day off. With all the snow it’s now a family day off. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

We attended our first middle school band, orchestra, and choir concert last night. They even had a guitarchestra do a couple of numbers. For those of you who have not yet had your 12 cups of coffee this morning, a guitarchestra is the coined word for a guitar orchestra.

Some things have changed since the days of the elementary concert and some things have not changed since last year.

First those things that changed: There were a few students from the seventh an eight grades who were really good musicians. Not just really good musicians for a middle school student but really good musicians. One particular kid played a mean clarinet. One played the guitar and bass (Greg has tears in his eyes right now). One played the upright bass with passion and determination. Another was having the time of his life on the timpani.

Now those things that didn’t change: Wrong notes, squeaks, out of tune, beaming parents and friends watching their aspiring musicians. Clapping in the wrong places - clapping after the different ensembles finished tuning. In one case they did a better job at tuning than the actual piece they were playing.

Madison is playing the tenor sax. She was the only tenor sax last year in elementary school and is the only tenor sax in the concert band this year. We couldn’t actually see her because of the chair arrangements and the amazon girls in front of her but we could hear her. All those pieces she’s been practicing at home blended together with the rest of the band and made such sweet music.

I had the same reaction to this concert that I had for the elementary spring concert which I told you about. I’m still struck with how much God loves when we offer to him our gifts complete with wrong notes and squeaks.

Beaming, smiling, and nudging the closest angel, God says “that’s my kid!”

Jacob worked for seven years and ended up with the wrong woman. He worked another seven years for the one he loved. The things we will do or endure for love.

Fourteen years ago, today, I began with the woman I loved and continue to be with the right woman.

The promises I made fourteen years ago I would make again, in a heartbeat.

By the way the young kid on the right was not the ring bearer, nay he was the bearer of the ring.

Enough to cover the lawn and cars but not enough to cancel school. Just enough to be a nuisance and not enough to build a snowman.

Yes, we have about 3 or 4 inches of snow on the ground. We were all looking forward to a “free” day but it was not in the flakes.

I met my goal. I was “Wishing and hoping and thinking and praying” (come on sing it if you know it) not to get sick this weekend. I even got my first ever flu shot as an insurance policy. In addition to leading worship on Sunday morning and preaching, our praise band had an event Saturday night and Sunday night. We had been working with the good folks from the other church I was telling you about in preparation for the two night praise double-header and I wanted desperately to not be sick for the weekend. Mission accomplished.

We had a great time. Thanks for asking. Saturday night we had 52 people which was fantastic. We planned the catered meal for 50 so it worked out just right. The thing you want to hear from the participants was heard. They said “it was too short.” Much better than “that sure was long” (or what Josh says every Sunday afternoon after Greg preaches). The folks at the other church on Sunday night were so appreciated of us coming over and being with me.

I was talking to my dad about the weekend and he remarked: “I wonder if the Pastor of the other church appreciates the irony of a Church of Christ minister bringing a band over to play on a Sunday night.” We all did. We’ve opened some doors and made some progress to become the people of God in both word and action.

Beth and Madison are touring the White House today to see all the Christmas decorations. Their personal tour guide is a former member of my youth group lo these many years ago.

It’s Friday so let’s have some fun. On her blog a couple of days ago an Oregon friend had a link to the following website

http://www.thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan.cgi

It’s a slogan generator. You put any word in the word space (it will have one by default) and hit SLOGANIZE. The result is a slogan with whatever word you’ve entered.

So, let’s have fun with the word verification. Here are the steps (it’s easier than it might sound)

1. Click to post a comment
2. Copy the word verification word
3. From a different browser - open up your browser anew so you have two open - and go to http://www.thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan.cgi
4. Enter your word verification word and click SLOGANIZE
5. Copy the entire slogan and post that as your comment

Any questions? I’ll leave the first comment as an example.