Vacation Bible School
This week is the beginning of Vacation Bible School at Parkwood Baptist. Each year we partner with the fine folks at Parkwood and every year it's a huge success. I marvel and am amazed each year at all the folks that are willing to volunteer at least two hours of their evening to spend time with these wonderful children. Thanks to all the volunteers from both Parkwood Baptist and Deep River Friends Meeting. Vacation Bible School will end Friday evening with a hot dog supper. It starts each evening through Thursday at 6:30 PM and ends at 8:30 PM. Keep all teachers and children in your prayers.
Bailey Shea Sarvis Update
We have all been praying for Clint and Jennie Sarvis' new baby girl, Bailey Shea. Born premature, Bailey is still at the hospital under the care of the fine doctors and nurses and putting on weight. Here is an update from Jennie posted as of yesterday (July 26)
Sunday afternoon- We get good news that she will have her ventilator tube removed this afternoon and be put back on the cpap, she is done with another round of anibiotics, and she is tolerating her feedings. Oh,,,and she is now 3lbs big!! To you that sounds like nothing, but to me she is starting to get "fat". I put another bill next to her just to measure her growth and I looks like she has come a long way.(in my head) Monday, I will get to hold her again after a tough week of just being able to watch her outside her "condo". Its amazing that she knows my voice and will start to breath more heavily and try to open her tired eyes at me when I come and visit. Gosh, she is so beautiful!
I think back to the days of me on bedrest in the hospital. In talking with some of the nurses that I had each day, I would ask about other patients on my hall-no names but just their condition. Perhaps to see if there were others close to the same week I was.(23-27) or a patient who was a few weeks further along that would give me strength. Some days the nurse would come into my room and I would ask. "Is everyone behaving today?" (meaning- are the other patients ok and is everyone still holding on to their babies) Some days the answer would yes and other days the answer would be no. Several times I have been asked how I can keep my head up through all of this. The answer is that some of those girls on my hall which have no faces or names to me, don't have what I have right now- a baby. I feel so blessed-not lucky- to have Bailey right now. There were so many days when the answer was no to that daily question. I have to keep going strong b/c this chance of motherhood is and will always be so delicate. God is awesome! Prayers heal people! It is truely a miracle to be a parent. I still go and visit the nurses that had me on that hall and joyfully keep them updated on Bailey's progress too. No she is not out of the woods yet, but what progress from where we started from. -Jenny
Continue to keep Clint, Jennie, and Bailey in your prayers!
California Bound
This Friday, Chad and I will be flying out to California to meet up with Erin and Sarah as we get ready to bring them home. We will be leaving Los Angeles on Sunday morning and arriving in North Carolina on Thursday evening. Along the way we will pass through Las Vegas, Utah, Colorado, Kansas (with an evening at the Kansas City Royals ballpark!), and Kentucky. Keep us in your prayers and I will be posting on my "California" blog to keep everyone update.
I hope everyone has a great week! Remember, God has already gone ahead of you and has prepared this week for you! Be aware of what God is up to in your life!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
The Hard Work of Growth
Getting Unstuck From Our Patterns
This past Sunday (July 19) I spoke on getting "unstuck" from our patterns. These patterns are entrenched ways of behaving, relating, acting, and doing life that sometimes do not serve us well...or serve others well. In fact, they very well may sabotage our effectiveness and our success...not to say the least our relationships. I have witnessed many marriages sabotage themselves due to the fact unhealthy patterns had developed over the years between the couple but yet they were unable or unwilling to make the changes necessary to enable them to function in a healthier manner. Growth is not always easy work. Sometimes it takes some necessary soul work. The following is what Lynda, my wife, wrote about the hard work of growth. I believe she describes it very well:
"I have been waging a battle all summer in my front flower bed. It's a battle between me and the Bermuda Grass. I have to be honest and say I neglected that bed last summer. So this spring I declared battle and with Scott's help old plants were removed and new ones planted.But the Bermuda Grass keeps returning. I pull and pull, spray Round Up, and pull some more.It had been 2 weeeks since my last surge to get rid of all the grass. So, I tackled it once again today. I decided I needed to dig a little deeper, get more of those roots that run deep and criss cross all over that flower bed. Hard work- yes. But is anything really worthwhile easy?That flower bed is really like my soul. How many times have I tried to just work hard enough to clean up the surface so my life looks nice. But I have left all the tangled roots deep below the surface. All those behaviors and patterns that hinder my relationships with others and with God eventually make their way back to the the surface of my soul.So how do I get at those roots? How do I get them out of the Garden of my Soul?When I look at what I did with my flower bed today, I have got to work at it. There has to be some purposeful action. And, the hardest part, I've got to dig deep. Probably deeper than I ever knew I had to dig.It's hard work, very hard work. Just as my muscles ache and my hands are sore, my soul may feel tender and bruised in the process.But the hope that I cling to and the promises I hold dear, remind me that the work pays off. My flower bed will thrive, and so will my soul and my relationship with others. I've got to keep tending to my Garden. Blessings for today."
The question sometimes has to be asked - am I willing to do the hard work necessary to grow in my life, in my relationships, in my emotional maturity?
Helpful Resources
I mentioned Sunday morning that there have been some resources helpful for me and I want to pass these titles on to you. You can order these at any bookstore or through Amazon.
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, Peter Scazzero
How Can I Let Go If I Don't Know I'm Holding On, Linda Douty
A Resilient Life, Gordon MacDonald
One Day At A Time, Trevor Hudson
Change Your Mind and Your Life Will Follow, Karen Casey
These are just a few that I have found helpful. You may have others. The key is to keep on growing and doing the "digging" and "weeding" that helps us get rid of those unhealthy patterns.
This past Sunday (July 19) I spoke on getting "unstuck" from our patterns. These patterns are entrenched ways of behaving, relating, acting, and doing life that sometimes do not serve us well...or serve others well. In fact, they very well may sabotage our effectiveness and our success...not to say the least our relationships. I have witnessed many marriages sabotage themselves due to the fact unhealthy patterns had developed over the years between the couple but yet they were unable or unwilling to make the changes necessary to enable them to function in a healthier manner. Growth is not always easy work. Sometimes it takes some necessary soul work. The following is what Lynda, my wife, wrote about the hard work of growth. I believe she describes it very well:
"I have been waging a battle all summer in my front flower bed. It's a battle between me and the Bermuda Grass. I have to be honest and say I neglected that bed last summer. So this spring I declared battle and with Scott's help old plants were removed and new ones planted.But the Bermuda Grass keeps returning. I pull and pull, spray Round Up, and pull some more.It had been 2 weeeks since my last surge to get rid of all the grass. So, I tackled it once again today. I decided I needed to dig a little deeper, get more of those roots that run deep and criss cross all over that flower bed. Hard work- yes. But is anything really worthwhile easy?That flower bed is really like my soul. How many times have I tried to just work hard enough to clean up the surface so my life looks nice. But I have left all the tangled roots deep below the surface. All those behaviors and patterns that hinder my relationships with others and with God eventually make their way back to the the surface of my soul.So how do I get at those roots? How do I get them out of the Garden of my Soul?When I look at what I did with my flower bed today, I have got to work at it. There has to be some purposeful action. And, the hardest part, I've got to dig deep. Probably deeper than I ever knew I had to dig.It's hard work, very hard work. Just as my muscles ache and my hands are sore, my soul may feel tender and bruised in the process.But the hope that I cling to and the promises I hold dear, remind me that the work pays off. My flower bed will thrive, and so will my soul and my relationship with others. I've got to keep tending to my Garden. Blessings for today."
The question sometimes has to be asked - am I willing to do the hard work necessary to grow in my life, in my relationships, in my emotional maturity?
Helpful Resources
I mentioned Sunday morning that there have been some resources helpful for me and I want to pass these titles on to you. You can order these at any bookstore or through Amazon.
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, Peter Scazzero
How Can I Let Go If I Don't Know I'm Holding On, Linda Douty
A Resilient Life, Gordon MacDonald
One Day At A Time, Trevor Hudson
Change Your Mind and Your Life Will Follow, Karen Casey
These are just a few that I have found helpful. You may have others. The key is to keep on growing and doing the "digging" and "weeding" that helps us get rid of those unhealthy patterns.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
"God's Love" by Thomas Merton
"If I were looking for God, every event and every moment would sow, in my will, grains of God's life, that would spring up one day in a tremendous harvest. For it is God's love that warms me in the sun and God's love that sends the cold rain. It is God's love that feeds me in the bread I eat and God that feeds me also by hunger and fasting. It is the love of God that sends the winter days when I am cold and sick, and the hot summer when I labor and my clothes are full of sweat: but it is God who breathes on me with light winds off the river and in the breezes out of the wood. God's love spreads the shade by the sycamore over my head and sends the water-boy along the edge of the wheat field with a bucket from the spring, while the laborers are resting and the mules stand under the tree. It is God's love that speaks to me in the birds and streams but also behind the clamor of the city God speaks to me in God's judgments, and all these things are seeds sent to me from God's will. If they would take root in my liberty, and if God's will would grow from my freedom, I would become the love that God is, and my harvest would be God's glory and my own joy. And I would grow together with thousands and millions of other freedoms into the gold of one huge field praising God, loaded with increase, loaded with corn."
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Numbers Matter - Deep River Friends Annual Report
William Willimon is a Bishop in the United Methodist Church in Alabama. Sometimes he will hear the concern that it's "all about numbers." Typically, this is voiced by someone who doesnt want to be held accountable for dropping attendance or dropping finances. In the following excerpt from his blog, William Willimon makes a good case for how "numbers matter":
"Although I’ve never heard this comment from a bishop, a pastor, or a church that was growing, a frequently heard comment in response to our Conference Priorities, from those who have limited their ministry to decline is, “So? It’s all about the numbers.”
Though I don’t see much indication that we have become infatuated with numbers (I was miserable at math in school) in our evaluation and deployment of our pastors, in our evaluation and leadership of our churches (most of our churches are still declining rather than growing) some question our historic Wesleyan focus on numbers of baptisms, attendance, membership, giving, and mission. The church is all about Jesus Christ and his mission. Are we now guilty of moving toward an “It’s all about numbers” posture?"
We loaded up our car for our annual family vacation. I had been clear with the family about our time of departure for the beach. Patsy had dutifully loaded the car. I had dutifully been clear about the time of departure. Harriet was there. Where was William?
“That does it. We’re leaving. He knew the time and yet he’s not here,” I said, in love.
“We can’t leave without him,” Patsy asserted. “How can you go on a family vacation without the whole family?”
I responded, “Look, we have one child who obeyed the rules, did as she was told, is punctual and obedient. Isn’t that good enough? Let’s go. Don’t worry about the other fifty-percent of our children.”
“We have two children. We are not going anywhere without everybody,” Patsy commanded, in love.
“One, two, whatever,” I responded. “So? It’s all about numbers! What difference does it really make whether we have all of our children or half of our children? The important thing is the quality of our family interaction on the vacation. This is about love, not numbers!” (adapted from the Annual Conference learning session with Mark DeVries)
In this interesting illustration, the numbers do matter! You don't want to leave a child behind...or do you? For sure, we don't want to obsess about numbers but they do give us an indication of where we might be doing well and where we need to pay more attention.
Annual Report
To this end, we handed out last Sunday our first-ever Annual Report of Deep River Friends. In it we have provided information regarding our receipts and expenditures for the past year as well as our budget for the coming year. We have included financial reports as well as reports regarding the work of our committees over the past year. Here are just some hightlights from the report:
"Although I’ve never heard this comment from a bishop, a pastor, or a church that was growing, a frequently heard comment in response to our Conference Priorities, from those who have limited their ministry to decline is, “So? It’s all about the numbers.”
Though I don’t see much indication that we have become infatuated with numbers (I was miserable at math in school) in our evaluation and deployment of our pastors, in our evaluation and leadership of our churches (most of our churches are still declining rather than growing) some question our historic Wesleyan focus on numbers of baptisms, attendance, membership, giving, and mission. The church is all about Jesus Christ and his mission. Are we now guilty of moving toward an “It’s all about numbers” posture?"
We loaded up our car for our annual family vacation. I had been clear with the family about our time of departure for the beach. Patsy had dutifully loaded the car. I had dutifully been clear about the time of departure. Harriet was there. Where was William?
“That does it. We’re leaving. He knew the time and yet he’s not here,” I said, in love.
“We can’t leave without him,” Patsy asserted. “How can you go on a family vacation without the whole family?”
I responded, “Look, we have one child who obeyed the rules, did as she was told, is punctual and obedient. Isn’t that good enough? Let’s go. Don’t worry about the other fifty-percent of our children.”
“We have two children. We are not going anywhere without everybody,” Patsy commanded, in love.
“One, two, whatever,” I responded. “So? It’s all about numbers! What difference does it really make whether we have all of our children or half of our children? The important thing is the quality of our family interaction on the vacation. This is about love, not numbers!” (adapted from the Annual Conference learning session with Mark DeVries)
In this interesting illustration, the numbers do matter! You don't want to leave a child behind...or do you? For sure, we don't want to obsess about numbers but they do give us an indication of where we might be doing well and where we need to pay more attention.
Annual Report
To this end, we handed out last Sunday our first-ever Annual Report of Deep River Friends. In it we have provided information regarding our receipts and expenditures for the past year as well as our budget for the coming year. We have included financial reports as well as reports regarding the work of our committees over the past year. Here are just some hightlights from the report:
- Average Worship Attendance for the past year - 122
- Average Sunday School Attendance for the past year - 48
- Average weekly Sunday offering - $3,010
- Average monthly Sunday offering - $$13,047
- Total Outreach Giving (Quaker and non-Quaker) - $44,846
- Total Sunday offerings for past year - $156,570
These are just a sampling of some of the information you will find in the Annual Report. In the report, you will also see what it is our committees do and how you can possibly serve within the meeting. I have been saying that there is more then enough ministry at Deep River Friends for one or more committees to do - we need everyone! Even if you are not on a committee, we need your servant heart. Consider where God might be calling you to serve.
Sermon Series Continues - "Getting Unstuck"
This Sunday I will continue my sermon series on "getting unstuck". This Sunday we will look at getting unstuck from patterns in our life. In other words, we pattern our life in certain ways and usually based on our upbringing and on past experiences. Some of these patterns serve us well and some of them don't. We need to discern what patterns we can keep and what patterns we need to change. How we pattern our life can greatly determine our fruitful...and even successful...we can become.
Hope everyone is having a great week. Feel free to check out my other blog at www.thegrowingedge.blogspot.com
Blessings,
Scott
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
"Getting Unstuck" at Deep River Friends
"Getting Unstuck" Sermon Series
This coming Sunday I will be continuing my sermon series on "getting unstuck" in life. The past three weeks I have focused on getting unstuck from our past, pain, and our perspectives. This week, we will take a look at getting unstuck from our problems.
In his book, Leading On Empty, pastor and author Wayne Cordeiro makes some interesting observations:
"Unresolved problems are like unresolved debts. You know they're there, but you just can't bring yourself to deal with them. You ignore symptoms and suppress the reminders until they ulcerate the inner recesses of your soul. They deplete energy and cause a low-grade fever in your emotions. It won't be long before an overwhelming sense of helplessness and entrapment overshadows you. Problems don't destroy you. Unresolved problems do. These are the nagging issues that create a breeding ground of fear. We feel compelled to live in the past and feel as if our hope for tomorrow is slipping away from us. Unresolved problems spawn chronic illness, work stress, relationship problems, and family breakdowns..."
Do you find you have "unresolved problems" or "issues" in your life? If you do, you probably resonate with what Wayne Cordeiro has to say in the preceding quote. These "unresolved" problems work on us like a low-grade fever. They sap our energy, creativity and even enthusiasm.
This Sunday, we'll take a look at how we can get "unstuck" from our problems and, through the presence of God, we can bring resolve and growth to our lives.
Monthly Meeting for Business
This Sunday will be our regular Monthly Meeting for Business. All members / attenders are welcome and encouraged to come to Monthly Meeting. During this time, we discuss the daily and ongoing business of the meeting as well as discern how we can continue to fulfill God's call on our life as a meeting. Ideally, we gather for worship for the purpose of having business. It is first and foremost a worship experience in which business is conducted. Being aware of that, we come seeking to discern first and foremost God's will for our lives and our meeting. Come join us in this time of prayer and worship!
Youth Missions Trip
Our Senior High and Middle School youth under the direction of Lisa Moran will be having a local missions trip this week. They will be using Faith Presbyterian in Greensboro as their "home base" and going out to various parts of the city to offer their lives and time in acts of ministry and community service. This is a great opportunity for our youth to see what goes on in their local area as well as give back some of their time and gifts. Pray for Lisa and our youth as they participate in this unique missions experience.
This coming Sunday I will be continuing my sermon series on "getting unstuck" in life. The past three weeks I have focused on getting unstuck from our past, pain, and our perspectives. This week, we will take a look at getting unstuck from our problems.
In his book, Leading On Empty, pastor and author Wayne Cordeiro makes some interesting observations:
"Unresolved problems are like unresolved debts. You know they're there, but you just can't bring yourself to deal with them. You ignore symptoms and suppress the reminders until they ulcerate the inner recesses of your soul. They deplete energy and cause a low-grade fever in your emotions. It won't be long before an overwhelming sense of helplessness and entrapment overshadows you. Problems don't destroy you. Unresolved problems do. These are the nagging issues that create a breeding ground of fear. We feel compelled to live in the past and feel as if our hope for tomorrow is slipping away from us. Unresolved problems spawn chronic illness, work stress, relationship problems, and family breakdowns..."
Do you find you have "unresolved problems" or "issues" in your life? If you do, you probably resonate with what Wayne Cordeiro has to say in the preceding quote. These "unresolved" problems work on us like a low-grade fever. They sap our energy, creativity and even enthusiasm.
This Sunday, we'll take a look at how we can get "unstuck" from our problems and, through the presence of God, we can bring resolve and growth to our lives.
Monthly Meeting for Business
This Sunday will be our regular Monthly Meeting for Business. All members / attenders are welcome and encouraged to come to Monthly Meeting. During this time, we discuss the daily and ongoing business of the meeting as well as discern how we can continue to fulfill God's call on our life as a meeting. Ideally, we gather for worship for the purpose of having business. It is first and foremost a worship experience in which business is conducted. Being aware of that, we come seeking to discern first and foremost God's will for our lives and our meeting. Come join us in this time of prayer and worship!
Youth Missions Trip
Our Senior High and Middle School youth under the direction of Lisa Moran will be having a local missions trip this week. They will be using Faith Presbyterian in Greensboro as their "home base" and going out to various parts of the city to offer their lives and time in acts of ministry and community service. This is a great opportunity for our youth to see what goes on in their local area as well as give back some of their time and gifts. Pray for Lisa and our youth as they participate in this unique missions experience.
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