After fourteen years of working closely together, our staff pastor in charge of seniors is retiring.
I'm sad.
Ward has been a close friend and trusted confidant. This grew naturally out of his sixty plus years as a pastor and his wisdom learned along the way--wisdom offered only when solicited.
Ward, now eighty-four years, has a remarkable knowledge of God's Word, an incredible sense of humor, a great singing voice, and an ability to stand in front of a crowd and speak clearly and coherently. (At 64 I don't always manage that...) All of these skills were utilized in his ministry at the rest home, at the hospitals, with seniors in their PrimeTimer's ministry ( a social gathering), and in his teaching ministry at Grace.
So I am grieving his departure--content that he has served well and now will bless his family in Northern California--but sad that when I walk into the office during the week his familiar face bent over a book (often the Bible) or bowed in prayer., he will no longer be here.
I'm sad.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
Losing your edge...
Two of the most productive athletes of the last decade are professional golfer, Tiger Woods, and SF Giant's pitcher, Tim Linceum. It could be argued that Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer that ever lived, and Tim lincecum, winner of babesball's coveted Cy Young award in two of his first three seasons, one of the best pitchers ever to perform on a baseball field.
Just this last week both players were in the public spotlight. Tiger Woods took the lead at the halfway point in the US Open and looked positioned to win his fourteenth major tournament, a feat second only to Jack Nicklaus' eighteen, Up north in Seattle, Tim Linceum returned home to the place where he grew up focused on ending an eight game losing streak.
By the time the weekend ws over, the Giants had lost for the ninth straight time in games where Lincecum pitched and Tiger Woords had failed again in his pursuit of a major, slipping into a tie for twenty-first,
What has happened to Tiger and Tim?
I am not an authority buit it appears to me both men have lost their edge.
Tiger had the ability when taking a lead at a tournament to literally run away from the rest of the field because of his unequalled skill and unrivaled confidence, and Lincecum's mere presence on a baseball field struck terror into the hearts of baseball's most proficient batters.
But not any longer.
Tiger drove off the green and missed putts he once routinely made, and Lincecum yielded gargantuan home runs and untimely walks to seal his doom.
What causes an athlete to lose his edge? It can't be age for these two--they are still young. It can't be bad breaks--they have both imploded on their own. Something deeper has happened.
We could speculate that Woods' off the field conduct whoch led to his public exposure and costly divorce have left his confidence shattered. He has plummeted from the position of respect and admiration he once held though people are still in awe of his talent.
The Lincecum piece is more difficult to anaylze but it appears that something has happened that has caused him to make bad decisions in key moments of a game that have become his undoing. At one point he had had runners score in only seven of fifty-six innings but those innings were disastrous enough to result in six losses. Unablke to make the right pitch in a key situation.
They've lost their edge.
Do you ever feel like that--that what you once did well routinely or accomplished easily has now become more strenuous and less frequent. It feels as if the bottom has dropped out,
The experts say that Woods still has great skills and if he could fine-tune his putting and regain his mental game he could once again dominate, Baseball writers have osberved that Lincecum still has a high number of strikeouts and an array of wicked pitches, and making better decisions in key moments of a game could turn it around for him.
For you it may be the same. Simply fine-tuning some things may turn it around.
But I'm guessing for Tiger and Tim--and for you and me--it's alot about what's going on in our minds and whether or not we are waging war with some enemies upstairs. Losing our edge can simply be a matter of misplaced confidence, presuming on our abilities but neglecting the necessary disciplines that keep us sharp and alert and living on the edge.
Tiger and Tim will remain in the public spotlight and our scrutiny and critique from a distance will inevitably continue.
Beneath the radar screen of public opinion I can continue to function but I know whether or not I've lost my edge. Often for me its a simple matter of remembering how I got to where I am and revisiting the things that caused me to be productive.
Thanks, God, for reminding me again today.
Just this last week both players were in the public spotlight. Tiger Woods took the lead at the halfway point in the US Open and looked positioned to win his fourteenth major tournament, a feat second only to Jack Nicklaus' eighteen, Up north in Seattle, Tim Linceum returned home to the place where he grew up focused on ending an eight game losing streak.
By the time the weekend ws over, the Giants had lost for the ninth straight time in games where Lincecum pitched and Tiger Woords had failed again in his pursuit of a major, slipping into a tie for twenty-first,
What has happened to Tiger and Tim?
I am not an authority buit it appears to me both men have lost their edge.
Tiger had the ability when taking a lead at a tournament to literally run away from the rest of the field because of his unequalled skill and unrivaled confidence, and Lincecum's mere presence on a baseball field struck terror into the hearts of baseball's most proficient batters.
But not any longer.
Tiger drove off the green and missed putts he once routinely made, and Lincecum yielded gargantuan home runs and untimely walks to seal his doom.
What causes an athlete to lose his edge? It can't be age for these two--they are still young. It can't be bad breaks--they have both imploded on their own. Something deeper has happened.
We could speculate that Woods' off the field conduct whoch led to his public exposure and costly divorce have left his confidence shattered. He has plummeted from the position of respect and admiration he once held though people are still in awe of his talent.
The Lincecum piece is more difficult to anaylze but it appears that something has happened that has caused him to make bad decisions in key moments of a game that have become his undoing. At one point he had had runners score in only seven of fifty-six innings but those innings were disastrous enough to result in six losses. Unablke to make the right pitch in a key situation.
They've lost their edge.
Do you ever feel like that--that what you once did well routinely or accomplished easily has now become more strenuous and less frequent. It feels as if the bottom has dropped out,
The experts say that Woods still has great skills and if he could fine-tune his putting and regain his mental game he could once again dominate, Baseball writers have osberved that Lincecum still has a high number of strikeouts and an array of wicked pitches, and making better decisions in key moments of a game could turn it around for him.
For you it may be the same. Simply fine-tuning some things may turn it around.
But I'm guessing for Tiger and Tim--and for you and me--it's alot about what's going on in our minds and whether or not we are waging war with some enemies upstairs. Losing our edge can simply be a matter of misplaced confidence, presuming on our abilities but neglecting the necessary disciplines that keep us sharp and alert and living on the edge.
Tiger and Tim will remain in the public spotlight and our scrutiny and critique from a distance will inevitably continue.
Beneath the radar screen of public opinion I can continue to function but I know whether or not I've lost my edge. Often for me its a simple matter of remembering how I got to where I am and revisiting the things that caused me to be productive.
Thanks, God, for reminding me again today.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
The wonder of the ocean
I am back in the office today after a week away at Pismo Beach--a week celebrating fifteen years of marriage and observing the the achievements of an all-star baseball player grandson who participated in four games. All exciting. All important. All meaningful.
Husband and grandpa. Two great roles to celebrate.
The other value of the week away was that it was "away"...away from work, away from a routine, away from responsibility, away from thinking. The kind of stuff that is so much of what life consists, but sometimes feels overwhelming.
The ocean is a blessed alternative to my normal schedule and surroundings, even though it is beautiful where I live. There is something about the ocean that holds me in its grip, embracing me with a sense of peace and power.
An interesting combination.
When I am walking along the ocean--and I did that several times each day--the sights and the sounds are mesmerizing. I am literally transported to another world--a world of peace and tranquility that I rarely experience any place else.
At the same time I am astounded by the raging power of the ocean--frightened by the idea of being alone at sea and conjuring up images of movies where men engage the fury of the sea only to fall victim to its power.
At this moment I realize it is both components of the ocean scene--its peace and power--that when merged together engage me at the deepest part of my being. It reminds me of a sovereign God who holds the waters of the ocean in His power--"even the wind and the sea obey his voice"--and who in a moment with a divine decree can say "Peace be still" and the waves will calm and the ocean be still.
It's the place where Sovereign God and perfect peace come together.
It's why I love the ocean.
Husband and grandpa. Two great roles to celebrate.
The other value of the week away was that it was "away"...away from work, away from a routine, away from responsibility, away from thinking. The kind of stuff that is so much of what life consists, but sometimes feels overwhelming.
The ocean is a blessed alternative to my normal schedule and surroundings, even though it is beautiful where I live. There is something about the ocean that holds me in its grip, embracing me with a sense of peace and power.
An interesting combination.
When I am walking along the ocean--and I did that several times each day--the sights and the sounds are mesmerizing. I am literally transported to another world--a world of peace and tranquility that I rarely experience any place else.
At the same time I am astounded by the raging power of the ocean--frightened by the idea of being alone at sea and conjuring up images of movies where men engage the fury of the sea only to fall victim to its power.
At this moment I realize it is both components of the ocean scene--its peace and power--that when merged together engage me at the deepest part of my being. It reminds me of a sovereign God who holds the waters of the ocean in His power--"even the wind and the sea obey his voice"--and who in a moment with a divine decree can say "Peace be still" and the waves will calm and the ocean be still.
It's the place where Sovereign God and perfect peace come together.
It's why I love the ocean.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Graduation...an end? or a means to an end?
I have spent time at a Baccalaureate service, a church graduation service and a family graduation party this last weekend. In addition to these events I was invited to three graduations and missed several others of which I was aware including a grandson's sixth grade graduation 2000 miles away in Texas.
Graduations are significant events because they recognize achievement and completion. An individuals sets a goal of graduating from high school and/or getting a college degree--or getting through boot camp or completing vocational training-and emerges with a diploma, a rank or some form of certification that they have met the course requirements and achieved their goal.
Congratulations are in order for those who have graduated. So, congratulations to all who have achieved their goals and completed the course.
Now what? That may seem a ludicrous question. My sixth grade grandson will change schools and begin Junior High in Richardson, Texas. A friend of mine has completed his college work and ROTC training and will enter the Air Force. Another has graduated from high school and will head for a Christian liberal arts college in Los Angeles to continue her education. Still another will leave for culinary school.
The point is this--the "Now what?" for them seems clear.
For now.
But at some point, the sixth grader will be a college graduate as an adult. The Air Force serviceman will be a pilot. The high school graduates, if they reach their voiced dreams. will be an artist and a chef respectively.
Still, the question will always be, "Now what?"
Everything we pursue--and attain--that is punctuated with a diploma or a certificate--is not an end, but a means to an end, And that end is generally phrased in how we answer this question, "What is the purpose of my life?"
Herein, if you will, lies the rub. What is the purpose of all of this in the ultimate scheme of things? For me, I am "graduating" after forty-five years as a minister. I will be sixty-five and I'm asking the question again, "Now what?"
But it is really just another question about what "means" will I pursue now to continue to embrace my purpose for living--serving God. That's my end goal, in whatever I do, and it makes the "graduations" and achievements along the way fulfilling--but only as they relate to my ultimate objective,
Figure out what you're really living for, and then purpose that every pursuit along the way--every graduation realized--will resonate with the celebration of what God made you to be.
Graduations are significant events because they recognize achievement and completion. An individuals sets a goal of graduating from high school and/or getting a college degree--or getting through boot camp or completing vocational training-and emerges with a diploma, a rank or some form of certification that they have met the course requirements and achieved their goal.
Congratulations are in order for those who have graduated. So, congratulations to all who have achieved their goals and completed the course.
Now what? That may seem a ludicrous question. My sixth grade grandson will change schools and begin Junior High in Richardson, Texas. A friend of mine has completed his college work and ROTC training and will enter the Air Force. Another has graduated from high school and will head for a Christian liberal arts college in Los Angeles to continue her education. Still another will leave for culinary school.
The point is this--the "Now what?" for them seems clear.
For now.
But at some point, the sixth grader will be a college graduate as an adult. The Air Force serviceman will be a pilot. The high school graduates, if they reach their voiced dreams. will be an artist and a chef respectively.
Still, the question will always be, "Now what?"
Everything we pursue--and attain--that is punctuated with a diploma or a certificate--is not an end, but a means to an end, And that end is generally phrased in how we answer this question, "What is the purpose of my life?"
Herein, if you will, lies the rub. What is the purpose of all of this in the ultimate scheme of things? For me, I am "graduating" after forty-five years as a minister. I will be sixty-five and I'm asking the question again, "Now what?"
But it is really just another question about what "means" will I pursue now to continue to embrace my purpose for living--serving God. That's my end goal, in whatever I do, and it makes the "graduations" and achievements along the way fulfilling--but only as they relate to my ultimate objective,
Figure out what you're really living for, and then purpose that every pursuit along the way--every graduation realized--will resonate with the celebration of what God made you to be.
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