Posted in Life

Studying earth science

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Tonight is Earth Science study/review night with Olivia. The chapter is on the geologic periods of the earth. Now a lot of the material sounds familiar to me, but either I don’t remember it, or we just didn’t study it in the same depth as students do now.

Let’s see, I did biology in 9th grade, chemistry in 10th grade, physics in 11th grade, and didn’t take a science in 12th grade. So what did we study in eighth grade science? I don’t have a clue. But I remember my eighth grade science teacher, Mr. Smith. And all I remember about that year is combining hydrogen and oxygen in a metal tube and putting a static electric charge to the end to make it explode. Cool stuff. He also got our school an electron microscope from somewhere.

Anyway, it occurred to me that some might wonder how I can blend my belief in the six day creation account of the Bible with the chapter we’re about to review. For me, it’s never been a problem. Both look at how the world came to be, and if there are some things that don’t match up, we obviously have more to learn. I look at science as a gift from God to study and learn about the world and life he created. It doesn’t have to be a matter of proving one right and the other wrong. I learn a lot from both and appreciate the Creator even more. Math and physics are other disciplines that help me understand it as well. A lot depends on your assumptions. With a belief in God as Creator, I can see his handiwork in fossils, equations, and graphs. And I think that is really cool.

Posted in Ministry

Keeping in touch

Posted on by William Douthwaite

We got our first look at an iPad last week. There are lots of rumors about what the next iPhone will be like when it’s released this summer. The way we communicate is changing in real time!

This is a challenge for the church. In order to communicate with all the members and regular attenders of our congregation, we have to utilize everything available.

  • We send out burst emails (to everyone who uses email.)
  • We update via Facebook and Twitter and MySpace, depending on which social media is preferred.
  • We hand out a printed weekly newsletter at worship.
  • We advertise in print and broadcast media.
  • We mail out information.
  • We display large posters and banners about upcoming events.
  • We text those who communicate best that way.
  • We make announcements on Sundays.
  • And yes, sometimes we actually pick up the phone and call, even though it seems like we get answering machines more than real people.

How effective are we? It’s hard to put an actual number to it, but for a given event, it seems like about half the people know what’s happening. That doesn’t sound like much, but I’d like to know how effective other churches are at communicating. And what would it take to reach 75% or higher?

What do you do about those who only check their email once a week or so? Or those who have stacks of unopened mail at home? Or those who don’t actually read the newsletter they take home? Or those who don’t have an answering machine? Or those whom you only see in worship once every six weeks or so?

I would imagine this is a universal problem. How do you approach keeping in touch?

Posted in Life

Where did those feelings come from?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Over the past few days, I’ve been talking with someone who’s been surprised by feeling of rage, fear, and sadness because of things going on in someone else’s life. Simply trying to come along side a good friend, be supportive, and walk with them through some really difficult situations, they were overwhelmed with feelings that overflowed from the other person’s life.

In Galatians, the apostle Paul tells us to carry each other’s burdens. In Romans he says we rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. These are very reassuring words, because they remind us that we don’t have to carry life’s burdens alone. We have others, specifically our brothers and sisters in Christ, to help us when life gets too heavy.

On the other hand, we will end up with some of weight others have to carry will overflow onto our backs. That’s the hard part. Here we are, minding our own business and trying to be good friends, and suddenly, we’re hurting because of someone else’s pain. We’re crying because of someone else’s tears. And sometimes we’re filled with rage because someone else is suffering an injustice. Is it fair that we have to suffer for someone else’s mistakes?

Ah, you’re getting a taste of what Christ went through for us. Punished for our sins, rejected because of our selfishness, killed because of our unfaithfulness, Jesus knows all about unfair. Maybe we go through some of that so that we know him better. And like Paul also said, there’s nothing like knowing him.

Image: Anguish by Thomas Hawk at Flickr

Posted in Life

Lacrosse

Posted on by William Douthwaite

My younger daughter is playing high school lacrosse this year, her freshman year, just like her older sister did a few years ago. Women’s lacrosse is quite a bit different from the male version. While guys wear protective gear and go at it with sticks, women’s lacrosse is, in theory, a non-contact sport. It’s all about speed, finesse, and ball-handling skills. Once in a while there are some scuffles, but most refs keep that under control.

The season gets started in just a few weeks, so I’m gearing up to go to lots of games. I think it took me a full year to understand the game from the stands. The constant sound of whistles, the change of possession, and positioning players on the field left most of us parent spectators bewildered. Then, gradually, I not only began to get it, but I could even explain some of it to others.

We who frequent the games are a committed bunch. There are no big crowds like there are for football. Just a few families huddled in the stands since it can be a little chilly on those February nights at the beginning of the season.

Posted in Ministry

In and out of the hospital

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I just got back from visiting two of my members who are in the hospital. It’s unusual to have seen them four times; most hospital visits are very short. Thankfully, both are improving and should be home soon.

As I was driving home, I realized that in my get-togethers with my fellow pastors, both locally and denominational conferences, we don’t talk much about hospital and nursing home visits. We talk a lot about vision, attendance, programs, finances, buildings and staff. But we don’t say much about pastoral care. Is pastoral care still a prominent part of pastoral ministry today?

Reviewing one of my call documents, I see that the congregation authorizes and obligates me to, among other things, “visit the sick and the dying.” IOW, it’s part of my job description. This is no surprise to me, of course. It was modeled for me, I was taught to do it, and I’ve always assumed that hospital visits or visits to the sick at home would always be a regular part of my week. In my experience, these visits tend to come in bunches. There may be none for several weeks, then suddenly there are four or five people to visit. And then just as suddenly, everyone is back home and back on their feet again.

I generally enjoy going to the hospital, and always learn something new when I am there. After I return from a visit, I always ask my wife (a nurse practitioner) about what I saw and heard, and she teaches me something more about medicine. I am thankful that my mom (also a nurse) had me volunteer in a local hospital as a teenager. Because of that experience, I’ve never been uncomfortable in any part of a hospital. Plus, I get to see the healing power of God at work through doctors and nurses, treatments and medication, and spiritual care. It’s the same kind of thrill that those who witnessed Jesus’ healing miracles must have felt when someone could walk, see, hear, or speak again. When God’s at work, I don’t want to miss it.

So let me know if you’re in a nearby hospital. I’ll stop by.

Posted in Grace, Ministry

The fifth one is on us

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A few weeks ago, I met someone who didn’t attend church much, but came to worship with us one Sunday. I’m not sure how, but we got talking about the punch cards he carried in his wallet from various places he liked to eat. You know, where you get it punched every time you come in, and then when you have a certain number of punches, you get something free.

For some strange reason, I thought, “I can do that.” I made him a “frequent worshiper” card for our church. “Attend four worship services, and the fifth mass is on us!” I laminated it, punched out one of the church logos for the Sunday he was here, and sent it with the usual letter thanking him for worshiping with us. I haven’t seen or heard from him yet, but I hope he found it as amusing as I did.

Afterwards I got to thinking, “What would it mean for worship to be ‘on us’?” I mean, we give freely because of all God has freely given us. I guess it could mean you didn’t have to put an offering in that week. Or maybe you could get something from the plate when it was passed around. Although I wouldn’t recommend it. Our ushers are pretty tough.

Actually, this isn’t such a unique idea. We have churches in our community that have given out gas and coffee gift cards to first time visitors. Some will take you out for ice cream if you bring a friend to youth group. My idea was meant to be taken lightly, but hopefully it will help strengthen the connection with this individual.

Posted in Life

The final curtain

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Today was the last performance of “This Thing Called Love,” a dinner theater at our church. Having done five shows over two weekends gave me a new appreciation for those who do a show on Broadway for years, or those who tour and perform the same show 7 or 8 times a week. I wonder how you stay “up” for a performance that is essentially the same night after night, week after week, month after month. And many of those who do it love it. Not only is it their profession, but it is their passion. It’s what people pay to see, so that’s what you have to do. How do you keep from getting stale? I’m sure there are techniques you learn to be able to be your best on a consistent basis. But I’m also sure it’s hard work, too.

Touring bands must face the same challenges. Playing the same songs over and over each night in different places, and having to make them sound fresh and exciting each time around. I have great respect for those who do this and do it well.

Posted in Grace, Life, Ministry

People of influence

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Tomorrow, as the first part of a stewardship emphasis at our church, I’ll be talking about the influence we have in this world. My sermon is based on Matthew 5:13-16, where Jesus says we are the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.”

One way to look at this is to see how influential Jesus says we are in this world, making as much difference as salt and light make when something is bland or dark. (If you’d prefer to think of salt as a preservative, that works, too. We make as much difference as salt and light when things are rotting and dark.) Anyway, I think we sometimes forget how influential we are as Christians. Feeling outnumbered by other faiths and atheists and agnostics, the temptation is retreat into our own worlds or let ourselves be influenced by others.

Whether we like it or not, God shakes us out of the saltshaker and puts us into the workplace, the marketplace, the schools, and our communities. There, whether we realize it or not, we bring some of Jesus with us. By that, I mean we bring what we’ve received from him, things like forgiveness, love, humility, patience, etc. And that is the stuff that salts, brightens, and changes the world. Wrap your mind (heart, soul, and strength) around that, and you might even do it intentionally, realizing what a difference God makes through you.

We are anything but ordinary, bland, and dull in this world. We’re salt and light.


Posted in Life, Rant

Coffee crisis

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Coffee maker crisis. The most annoying thing in our lives right now, at least first thing in the morning, is our coffee maker. We’ve become totally dependent on a Keurig one cup coffee maker, which has developed a mind of its own.

Here’s the problem: you never know how much coffee will end up in your cup. Sometimes it is a normal 8 oz. serving, exactly what you expect. Other times, the coffee maker holds back, giving you a couple ounces of really strong stuff. Still other times, you get more than you expected, more than will fit in the cup you have. I’ve cleaned it, de-scaled it, done everything I’m supposed to do, and we still can’t get the one thing we really want to work in the morning to work in the morning.

I know, this really isn’t much of a crisis, especially when people in Haiti don’t have water to drink and plenty of people in the world have no food much less a cup of coffee. It just shows how easy it is to get hooked on a convenience. This morning I reflected on the olden days when we had to get up and actually brew a cup of coffee, a process that could take 10 minutes. Now we call that roughing it.

There are lots of coffee makers on sale right now, so we’ll probably just shop around for a new one. Then my mind can move on to bigger and better things.