John Knox Presbyterian Church

            I like soccer refereeing for a lot of reasons. One reason is that I am getting exercise in the fresh air. Another reason is that I get to see some pretty awesome athletes. Another reason is that I like to help players learn about fairness and grace.

            Our main responsibility as a referee is to make sure the players are safe. Then we try to make sure there is equality on the call for each side. No team gets an advantage due to improper play. We also try to help everyone enjoy the game, though sometimes the parents make that a little difficult.

            Another responsibility that is unspoken is we try to keep the kids in the game. There are some kids who are just careless or reckless on the field. Sometimes they just can’t seem to control their bodies and they tend to run into people more than get to the ball. Those kids we try to help by counseling them with words like, “Take it easy” or “Play the ball and not the person” or maybe even stop the game at a hard foul and tell them one on one “You need to calm down here.”

            You see referees have two cards in their pocket. One is a red card which when given means the person is sent off the pitch (field) and this person will not be allowed to play the rest of the game. The other card is a “Caution” it is the yellow card and lets the player know they need to keep their actions under control.

            There have been times when a referee has told a player “I want to keep you in the game, but you are getting really close to crossing the line.” The yellow card is the next step in letting them know you mean business.

            I think God does that for us. God will remind us that our actions need to be in line with our faith. If we profess to be Christians then we need to act like it. This means restraining ourselves in some instances and sacrificing our selves in others. As we come up to Valentine’s Day it is a good reminder that God’s example of love for us shows us how to love others. We are to “consider others better than ourselves” Philippians 2: 3. We are to follow the footsteps or the knees of Jesus as he stooped at the last supper to wash the feet of the disciples. They weren’t just any disciples they were disciples that looked to him as their master. Yet he told them they were to follow his example.

            We read many times when Jesus is a bit frustrated with the disciples from Peter who does not want him to die on the cross to Thomas who does not believe he really appeared to the others after his resurrection. Yet Jesus continually shows them grace. He is willing to give them a second or third or more chances to be his followers.

            So he gives us the same chance. He will never send us off the playing field, but there will be times when he will caution us. I pray that as we journey this pitch, we will recognize when his words of grace to us individually will call us back to living within the “laws of the game” and we will heed the cautions he gives us.

Seeking to stay in the game and enjoy the journey with you,

            Pastor Randy

I have been thinking a lot about the gifts Jesus got when the Magi visited him, you know, the gold, the frankincense, and the myrrh. We don’t know what happened to those gifts. Certainly we never hear of the family of Jesus living in luxury. These were gifts not only fit for a king, but monetarily great treasures which would move his family out of the poor house and into at least a house of modest means.

            Gold was a costly gift. It could be used to ease the financial concerns of the family. Frankincense was a perfume used in the temple to symbolize the fragrant offerings given to God. It also represented holiness, that which is different than humanness. Myrrh was an antibiotic used to stop infection. Yet we know Jesus did not circumvent the pain of poverty, or mask the smells of humanity, or suspend the decay of his humanness. He lived among us as one of us. He not only entered into the world, but he lived in the world with all its poverty, its unpleasantness, and pain.

            Jesus had the opportunity to step above the pit of lowliness and experience the finer things of life. Jesus had the opportunity to move among people with recreation on their minds instead of working hard for a living. Jesus had the opportunity to ease the difficulties of life, but he instead experienced the struggles of survival.

            The gifts he received were certainly gifts deserved by him, but he chose to set them aside so we could receive the true gift of his sacrifice. This sacrifice was not just what happened on the cross, but also his entering into our world as a finite human being. He gave up his place with the Father in order to walk in our midst.

            It was his gift to us which can never be equaled in our gift to him. But all he asks is that we believe him, receive him, and live for him. Let us strive to become a gift to God by serving in his name.

            Seeking to become a wise man following Jesus,

            Pastor Randy

It is again a New Year. 2012, the year of leap. Yes, we get an extra day this year. For those born on the 29th they will get to celebrate their birthday on the actually date this year. This also means next year the date will jump two days instead of one. This means Christmas will be on Tuesday instead of Sunday, like 2011. This also means unless your daily devotional allows for the extra day you will have an extra day to catch up that reading you didn't get time or forgot to do.

Daily devotionals are a good thing to try to do. They help us remember in all the hustle and bustle that we need to take time to listen for God in our lives. I try to get one each year, the problem is I usually find more than one that are intriguing. This also means that when I forget or don't take time to read my daily reading I have more than one to catch up on. Still I have one this year and though I am caught up today I hope I can use it daily throughout the year.

I heard recently that someone wants to change the calendar so each date falls on the same day of the week each year. That means businesses would no longer have to figure out how to give employees time off around the various holidays recognized in our country. It might be nice to have the same day of the week, but then who will decide what holidays go on which days. Also what if you have a birthday in the middle of the week, that means you would never have your birthday on a weekend.

I kind of like the changes of days for it means we have to think creatively to get the holidays in and think creatively how to celebrate them whether they are on a week day or a weekend. I hope we don't lose this challenge, life isn't always convenient or easy so let's take the challenge and keep rotating the days of the week.

So in this year of leap, why not find some constincy amidst those rotating days and make a resolution to pick a devotional, if you haven't already, and try to read it daily. It could be a great beginning for a new practice that will keep you atuned to God in your life. And though the days of the week may change God never changes.

Happy picking and reading,

Pastor Randy

            Recently I was in the Dublin Post Office mailing a package to my Step-mom for her birthday. I had it in a regular envelope but was sending it Priority Mail. The postal person suggested I try the cardboard priority mail envelope. The cost would go from $10.50 to $5.20. Not only did she suggest I change mailing package, but right then she took the time to put my regular envelope in the priority envelope. She had to shove it a bit, but it finally fit.

            I told her I could step out of line and make the change, but she said no it wouldn’t take but a moment. She also said she hated to see me spend $10 when I could send it for $5. I have to admit it was hard for me to see her go to all the trouble to make the change for me.

            It is usually easier for me to help others at the Post Office, find the box they need or help them move their boxes along the line or hold the door for them when they leave than to let a gracious postal worker help me change out a package.

Why do we give sometimes? I know sometimes I give because I want to be well thought of. Sometimes I give because I feel obligated. But there are those times I give just because I want to give. Sometimes when I receive I have to fight not feeling obligated to do something in return, but I am learning to receive.

Grace is like this giving and receiving thing. Grace is what we receive from God and once we recognize the grace we have been given then we can offer it to others. We didn’t earn it. We don’t deserve it. But God gives it to us freely. So we need to be grateful we have been given it. It is then we can truly offer it to others.

            Hopefully this Christmas time we will all receive what God has given us and then we can truly share what we have received with those around us.

            Seeking to receive so I can truly give,

            Pastor Randy

Over Thanksgiving we traveled to Houston to see our oldest daughter, Emily. It was great to be with her since her vocation gives her little time off and we won’t get to see her on Christmas. While we were there she took me to the YMCA for a workout. This is something I really enjoy doing with my kids. I like seeing what type of physical activity they are up to. It also gets me to do something different than my usual exercises. Last year Emily introduced me to Zumba dancing, that was a real workout. This year she introduced me to “Body Combat.”

This was a great workout for Thanksgiving week. I knew I would definitely need a major workout after celebrating Thanksgiving. “Body Combat” is basically kick boxing without gloves to music. I tried not to laugh as the instructor continually referred to the body parts of opponent we were trying to annihilate. I just couldn’t see my self smashing my opponent’s eyebrow with my right elbow or hitting him right between the eyes with my left fist or kicking him in the shin with my left foot. I guess this was supposed to increase the intensity of the action, but it seemed a little ludicrous to me.

Like I said “Body Combat” was a great workout and after an hour my energy was pretty well expended. It also reminded me that with any workout frequent practice is required to not only improve your muscle tone but will help you get in shape for other exercises. I am thankful I had been working out prior to this for the next day I had very little extra aches and pains.

So it is with our spiritual life. We can try to do different things for our spiritual health, but we need to do something consistently for it to really benefit us. Even when we are tired or sore or just not motivated we need to do the exercise.

So I continue to remind myself that certain Christian practices are beneficial to our spiritual growth. Prayer, scripture reading, and hospitality are the three I have talking about for the last six months. Another practice which should be a daily occurrence is repentance. This is a time when we confess to God those things which we have left undone or we did wrongly.

This is not an easy practice. I think it is an important practice for it reminds us of our humanity and our great need for a savior. Practicing “Body Combat” may help our physical health, but certainly it does not improve our love for humanity. Daily repentance helps us grow in compassion as we recognize our great need is no less than the need of those around us.

Hopefully all of us can continue to practice those things which will help us become better persons, physically or emotionally, but most of all I hope we can practice that which will help us grow spiritually.

Practicing with you,

Pastor Randy