What Kind of Joy

The room is cold and damp. I can hear tiny feet skittering across the floors.  Rats!  Why did it have to be rats?!
It seems like forever I have been in this prison of mine
Now I face a death sentence cast down upon me.  If only I could find an escape...
     There are two other men on the other side of the wall.  I can hear them talking and singing.  I lean over to the hole in the wall and listen.  I can hear two men talking with excitement and laughing talking about the last few weeks occurrence's.  I holler thru the wall a "hello" and they respond back with the same.   I ask them how they can be so joyful in this place.  They respond that they are here for crimes against the government, but the King that they serve knows they are here and has sent a Messenger to tell them He will take care of them.  They ask me why I am here, and I reply jokingly, "I shot the sheriff...but I did not shoot the deputy!"  I tell them I feel like I have been in this prison all my life.  Subject to the four walls of pain surrounding me everyday.
      They tell me with a joy in their voices that this is not their first time in a prison or being beaten but they are glad to suffer for their King.
What kind of joy is this, to count it a blessing to suffer?  When they should be crying, there is joy in their eyes.  What kind of joy gives these prisoners a song when they are staring death in the face?
They tell me it is the joy of a soul that is forgivin' and free...
My King has promised me this joy, it just seems sometimes I forget the tune and need to be reminded every now and then.  May my song be sung loud enough that others would ask me, "what kind of joy is this" you have?

The cowyboy and the church

I read an interesting article the other day, it went like this:

One Sunday morning an old cowboy entered a church just before services were to begin. Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore jeans, a denim shirt and boots that were very worn and ragged. In his hand he carried a worn out old hat and an equally worn out Bible.

The church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city. It was the largest and most beautiful church the old cowboy had ever seen. The people of the congregation were all dressed with expensive clothes and accessories.

As the cowboy took a seat, the others moved away from him. No one greeted, spoke to, or welcomed him. They were all appalled at his appearance and did not attempt to hide it.

As the old cowboy was leaving the church, the preacher approached him and asked the cowboy to do him a favor. "Before you come back in here again, have a talk with God and ask him what he thinks would be appropriate attire for worship."

The old cowboy assured the preacher he would.

The next Sunday, he showed back up for the services wearing the same ragged jeans, shirt, boots, and hat. Once again he was completely shunned and ignored.

The preacher approached the man and said, "I thought I asked you to speak to God before you came back to our church."

"I did," replied the old cowboy.

"If you spoke to God, what did he tell you the proper attire should be for worshiping in here?" asked the preacher.

"Well, sir, God told me that He didn't have a clue what I should wear. He said He'd never been in here before."

What are your thots? Have you been in a church like this? Is your church like this? Are YOU the church in this story?

About Me

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. President of Garbage contol

2. Lip Reader for the blind

3. Coin counter for Jerry's Kids donations

4. Inventor of the "dial-up" and Fax noise

Four movies I've watched more than once:
1. Bugs Bunny Movie
2 The Sequel
3. The Second coming (saw it twice, just in case)

4. Curious George Goes to the movies

Four places I have lived in my life:
1. Denial

2. My own little world (everyone there knows me)

3. In my imagination

4. The other side of tomorrow

Four TV shows I watch:
1. The "off the air" show
2. NCIS
3. House
4. The Invisible man (hard show to follow, never seen the main character)

Four places I have been:
1. In trouble

2. In the thick of it

3. In the middle of it

4. in hot water

Four people who email me regularly:
1. God

2. crazy people
3. some guy who keeps telling me I have won the lottery in Argentina
4. The lawyer who tells me a person I helped in London has left me Money in his will

Four of my favorite foods
1. Taco Bell
2. Taco Bell
3. Taco Bell
4. Biscuits at Popeye's

Four places I'd rather be:
1. out of trouble

2. in denial (it's not just a river)
3. The Presidency
4. Youth Work

Four people I think will respond:
1. God

2. My wife
3. My dog

4. My son

Four things I'm looking forward to this year:
1. Seeing Tomorrow

2. Seeing Next year
3. Taking my next breath

4. ONE day without pain

IT DOESN'T ADD UP

God, I have been doing some figuring on my calculator and I have come to the conclusion that ministry just doesn't add up. I have been doing this for over a decade and I have to say, it seems that Your people are getting worse. I now know why you called them a "stiff necked people".
Why would someone want to give up a 9-5 Monday- Friday job to do ministry? No matter what the day is, you are really never "off". Don't get me wrong I love doing what you have called me to do, it's just that the numbers are starting to weigh heavily on the side of more negative than positive. Let me show you what I mean...
Now, before You jump in here, let me show you my figures, cause as we all know, figures don't lie.

1. Everybody in the church thinks they are your boss
2. You have nere one "True friend" in your congregation (always having to keep a little distance, for job security)
3. You are disposable and replaceable at any time
4. Your family is uprooted and in constant state of never "settling down"
5. People wonder when you are getting a "real job"
6. Jealousy in your pastorial staff
7. Your wife starts to "hate" ministry because of all she has seen go on behind the scenes, from staff members
8. Ministering now is measured by the "Numbers Game" ("how many are you running now??")
9. Deacons meetings....need I say more?
10. People who have no idea what "Ministry" is are on the personnel committee looking for pastors.

So as You can see Lord, it is getting pretty stacked up in there. I just don't no if it is worth it anymore. I wonder if the young ministers in seminary are told these things to look out for when they get into ministry? How many are getting taught to deal with a pushy deacons, members who think check books make them the king in the church, and parents who say you aren't spending enough time with their teenager? You see, it just doesn't add up.

Oh, Lord, I thought I would share this with you also. I got a text the other day from one of my teenagers from a past youth ministry I was in and we were talking about how they were doing. He says that he is still in Your Word and growing. In fact, he is inviting his friends to church. He wanted to thank me for all that I had taught him and for believing in him when no one else would....

As I think back on that conversation I start to wonder...

Maybe it does add up.

Thank You, Lord!

Pastor J