Randy Wray’s Blog

We had our school 1st quarter awards assembly today.

Several students were awarded certificates for perfect attendance, including the 4 students who were not present to receive their award.

You figure it out.

Reese made honor roll with a 3.39 (he gets that from me).

Madison made honor roll with a 4.0 (she gets that from her mother).

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We’re used to putting out fires, it’s part of the job.  The excitement comes when putting out a fire is actually putting out a fire.

Our church / school campus backs up to a levy.  The levy is covered in dead grass, stubble and other such natural incendiary material.  Add vagrants, delinquents and other presidential candidates to the mix and you’ve got quite the explosive situation.

Our Youth minister came in and said "do we have any shovels, there is a fire on the levy?"  We scrambled around trying to find shovels and yes called the fire department.  Talk about response time, they never showed up.

It was a grass fire that because of the wind was spreading quick enough to make you nervous.  The fire was gathering momentum at the base of a couple of dead oak trees and action was required. 

One of our teachers had one of those collapsible army shovels which our youth minister grabbed and our children’s minister / school principal found a shovel in a closet.  The shovel was pretty.  It was the shiniest shovel I’ve seen.  It looked like one of those ceremonial ground breaking shovels.  The way most churches hang on to relics it probably was. 

Imagine this conversation:

1 - There’s a fire and we need some tools to put it out.

2 - We have a shiny shovel and gigantor sized pair of scissors.

3 - All right then, let’s get to work cutting some ribbon.

Following the lead of our youth minister, the two of us "jumped" in and put the fire out.

Just another day at the office. 

At his last place of ministry our youth minister tackled a shooter to the ground.  As we walked back to the building, him with his small green shovel and me with my shiny shovel over my shoulder he said "well that’s better than being shot at on the job."

Hey, this is Stockton, there’s always tomorrow or today as the case might be.

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I think I figured out why people like to yell at sporting events.  It’s pure and somewhat free therapy. Don’t you just have those days that you just want to let it all out and scream at the top of your lungs?

"No toner?  Are you kidding me, no toner?  Are you blind?  Can’t you see from here that we’re out of toner?"

And have you noticed that most things that are yelled in the context of sporting events are questions.  Do we honestly expect the official in charge to stop the event to personally address your particular question? 

"What do you mean illegal use of powerpoint clipart?  What a horrible call!  How can you make that call at this point in the presentation?"

Personal insults, uncontrollable anger and foul language aside (save that for the elder’s meetings) isn’t the price of admission a few hours of shouting out nonsense?  Shouldn’t sporting events serve as a therapeutic release of appropriate angst?

In fact I can see a whole new discipline of yell therapy on the horizon. 

A sporting event where no one you know is on the field.

Officials (equipped with ear plugs) make every conceivable bad call they can dream up.

Spectators are encouraged, no they are expected to yell at the officials to their hearts content.

$25 a person sounds about right to kick things off.

Any takers?

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Sorry for the delay in posting today.  I know many of you have anxiously waited by your computers wondering when I was going to post.  (That’s a joke and what does it say that I feel the need to explain it’s a joke?) The reason for the delay is we hefted and hoisted our humongous beams up into the attic this morning.  We still have to set posts and anchor / attach beams to rafters by the humongous beams are up in the attic.  I’ll post a picture later of the beams.  So now, without further delay, the top 10.

10. Lock In’s.

9. Questions such as "oh, youth ministry huh - when do you think you might get your own church?"

8. The salary and benefits package (or should I say lack of).  (Why do we pay youth ministers and babysitters who we entrust to care for our children the least amount of money possible?)

7. The bus air conditioner that quit working as soon as you traveled 25 miles beyond the church building.

6. The summer schedule.

5. Lock In’s.

4. Hormone Management.

3. Youth Rally speakers and programs designed to scare the hell out of kids so they’d get baptized. (And I’m using the word hell in it’s biblical context here)

2. The parents who viewed Youth Ministry as a daycare service instead of partnership to raise spiritually mature young men and women.

1.  Lock In’s.

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10. No more opportunities to wear spandex and throw tennis balls at the utes all in the name of American Gladiator.

9. Road trips.

8. Witnessing (almost on a weekly basis) the joy of discovery.

7. Pizza and Soda are the staples of any meeting.  

6. Laughter.

5. Sitting on the floor with an overhead projector and a stack of transparencies singing for an hour.

4. The best memories ever always began with someone saying something like "hey, check this out . . ."

3. Creativity always wins the day.

2. Never being afraid to try something new.

1.  Not having to wait an eternity to make a difference.

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Even prior to arriving here and quite frequently since moving here I’ve heard, been told and reminded at how my predecessor specialized in funerals.  (I’m not saying this to be critical just stating current reality).  Needless to say I felt a tremendous amount of pressure about officiating this funeral.  The thing is, I was surprised that I felt pressured.  It’s not a competition.  We all do best what we do best.  In everything else we do the best we can.  Understand the difference?  Maxine was honored and remembered.  The family was appreciative of the service and so it seems I passed the test.  Interesting the things by which we are measured and by which we are remembered.

In other news we passed our first inspection at Casa Wray.  This means no more digging underneath the house - THE LORD BE PRAISED!  I’ll still have to crawl under there to pour cement and attach the posts but the digging is over!

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Today I will officiate the funeral service for Maxine Nicholas.

I did not know Maxine but have benefited from a wealth of resource of those who did.

And, yes, I’m wearing a tie.

I just hope the funeral director is anything like Greg.  (check out a recent post to see what I mean)

If so, it promises to be a multi-sensory day.

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We’re all busy, I realize that.  It just seems some weeks are busier than others.

I’ve been preparing for four weeks now a message I will deliver this coming Sunday on Mark 10:1-12. 

After you look the passage up the extensive prep time will make more sense.

I have that on my mind as I prepare to officiate a funeral service tomorrow. 

Unless you’ve officiated a funeral service you don’t understand the extra burden and pressure it places on an already busy week.

I don’t say this for sympathy just a glimpse into my reality for this week. 

The fires in southern California are a concern as well for our family who at this point are safe but worried.

Much on the mind, much on the mind . . .

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I know (at least I think I know) why we give automatic answers to certain questions.

The question "How are you?" receives an automatic response of "Fine".

The question "How are things?" receives an automatic response of "Good".

The question "Do these jeans make me look fat?" receives an automatic slap because we didn’t answer fast enough.

Recently someone asked me the question "Are you happy?" and without hesitation I said "Yes."

It was an automatic response I gave without even thinking.  Had I taken the time to think about it I could have probably come up with several reasons not to be happy.

I was glad for the automatic response.  Part of being happy is dwelling upon good things and not dwelling upon the other stuff.

In relationships of confidence we must reach the point where we can move beyond the automatic responses and be completely honest with each other.

This is healthy and helpful.  It not only helps us process it allows us the chance to share in the joys and sorrows of others.

In case you’re wondering the moment you recognize the question being formed, by the time the word jeans enters the sentence, you should be prepared to swiftly and decisively say NO and immediately quote something from Little Women or Pride and Prejudice.

It’s the most important automatic response.

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Most of us can rattle them off as answers on a test.

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Faithfulness

Gentleness

Self-Control

We’ve sat through (or preached) the sermons that painstakingly, meticulously defined each and every fruit as if it were wedged between microscope slides.

But even though I’ve sat through and preached the fruit I still struggle seeing this fruit as a manifestation of the indwelling Spirit and constant reality of my spiritual life.

I want to give myself a pass and say nonsense like "no one’s perfect" or "we all fall short" or "just try harder next time".

The truth is when love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness AND self-control are not "everpresent" it’s just further evidence of my sinful selfishness.

Spiritual maturity is all about this fruit becoming a daily reality.

Spiritual leadership (and those mature enough to serve) must be determined by this same reality.

In fact, I’m understanding more and more how everything in our Christian life and experience must be viewed through the lens of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness AND self-control.

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