Read and Study the Bible

A boy noticed that his grandma spent more time reading the Bible than most people. He became concerned.  Finally one day he nudged his grandpa and said, "Grandpa, is Grandma cramming for her finals with God?"  

Or what about the little girl who proudly proclaimed to the entire congregation during the children's moment,  "Yes, we have a Bible in our house.  But no one ever reads it or even is allowed to touch it.  Momma will spank you hard if you do that!"

So be honest for just a moment--Do you read and study your Bible?

When I am asked to do a funeral, many times I will ask the family if the person that has died had a Bible.  If so, I ask if I can flip through it.  Sometimes the family tells me there is no Bible.  Other families will hand me a Bible that has evidently not been opened much.  There are no markings.  There is nothing that falls out of it.  

Then there are some Bibles that are full of information.  Scriptures are underlined.  Notes are written in the margins.  Inside there are clippings, scraps of paper, and even sermon notes that fall out.  The cover is worn out.  It obviously has been through many storms.  

What does your Bible say about how much you study or read it?

In our culture it is interesting that there are more available resources for reading and studying the Bible than in the history of humankind.  Yet, most churches have very poor results when offering a Bible study.  It is not the right time, place, topic,---you get the picture---there is some excuse.  

Bible study and prayer is the fuel that energizes the passion of faith.  It confirms the "why" of how we do what we do.  Without it we limp along in life.   A love affair with the Bible leads one into being a disciple.   

Let me encourage you in your daily reading of the Bible and your prayer life.  It will change you life.  

Pray for me as I pray for you.

In the Master's Name,

Dr.  M. Jack O'Dell

Lead Pastor

www.midweekmanna.com

www.stlukesimpson.org

Practicing Forgiveness

Energy is a limited resource in our world.  You can be sure that energy is a limited resource in your life.  Common sense says that one should use energy wisely.  So I have a question for you:  How much of your daily allotment of energy do you use in harboring grudges, bitterness, or resentment?  Another way to asking the question is how forgiving are you?

The mind does not help us in our battle of forgiveness.  There is a part of your brain that has more memory space than you want.  Your brain remembers hurts that happened to you that you can even access.  It can find you though.  This part of the brain has no time mechanism.  If something looks similar to past hurts, it sends you a random memory message.  This part of the memory system tells you that everyone is out to get you.  It screams to you that you cannot trust people.  However this part of the brain can be silenced--if you choose.  But it must be an act of your will.  It will not happen without your will.

There is another part of your brain that is very much attuned to time.  It is the part of your brain that sees you as you are today.  This thought process knows that people can only hurt you as much as you let them.  This part of the brain is able to distinguish between friend and foe.  This part of the brain wants you to experience love instead of bitterness and pain.  It screams for you to "think new thoughts!" and "risk being who you are today!"  This part of the brain invites you think differently and once you think differently you will act differently.  Once you act differently you will begin to feel differently.  

Forgiveness is when you choose to think differently  It is not about forgetting.  It is about choose to think differently and invest your limited amount of energy into spaces and places where there is wholeness and love.  It begins when you can wish others well who have harmed you.  It begins when you stop your thought processes that are filled with hurt and revenge.  It begins when you realize that it is silly and useless to keep "walking a dead dog!"  (one of my favorite lines!!!)  

Jesus made an interesting connection in the Lord's Prayer about forgiveness.  The prayer says, "forgive me my trespasses AS I forgive those who trespass against me."   Jesus wanted us to understand that as we experience God's forgiveness (which is so vast and loving), we can then pass that forgiveness to others (which is comparatively small to ours!).  When we are honest with ourselves, we know how bad we are!!!   And yet, God forgives us!  

So the key is to practice forgiveness!  Practice the thought process.  Abandon the "dead dogs" that we keep dragging around behind us.  Heal the open wounds.  And experience the good stuff of life!

Pray for me as I pray for you.

In the Master's Name,

Dr. M. Jack O'Dell

www.stlukesimpson.org

www.midweekmanna.com

Hang on to the Good Stuff

Being a pastor in today's world is more difficult than it used to be.  I think about how much has changed in ministry since I began.  I sometimes wonder if people realize this.   There are times when as being a pastor it is very painful and lonely.  I think this is why so many pastors burn out or have heart attacks.  It is why pastor's families struggle in a more quietly than most. 

So this manna is for pastors.  The rest of you just sit quietly.  Pray quietly.  Or maybe you might pray for  your own pastor.

It is Sunday morning (before the service).  Geez it IS Sunday morning.  Sunday school teachers call in sick or even worse, just fail to show.  "We have company...." (There is an invisible sign somewhere on the church property that says, "Company cannot attend worship!")  The Junior Highs need a teacher so you are supposed to be ready to teach (or your spouse).  The tenor section of the choir  (both  of them) have decided it is a good day to visit somewhere else or somebody else.  You can sing so you will move over to the choir loft when it is time to sing.  There are ten people who think that they need to make an announcement.  So the announcements could technically be fifteen minutes.  There are three people who have told you what was left out of the bulletin or pointed out the mistakes that are in the bulletin.  Ms. ???? (you fill in the name) is upset because you failed to visit her relative/friend/spouse in the nursing home.   (Her relative/friend/spouse has Alzheimer's and cannot report to her that you did visit her within the last two weeks).  The chair of two committees  feel the need to talk to you about their area prior to the service.  There are three new families entering which you try to get to speak to before the service to welcome them. They have sat in Mr _____'s pew and he has chewed them out and asked them to move. The flowers have been shown to have one of the following deficiencies--too small, wrong color, too large, or in the wrong place.  The acolytes cannot get the wick to work.    

So it is now time for worship to begin.

Worship begins late because you cannot get away from Mr _____.  He is telling you about his fishing trip last Sunday.  Ms **** (you fill in the name) took five minutes to make her announcement--all of which was already printed in the bulletin insert. (There are five inserts because everybody needs an insert for their cause)  The prelude lasted eight minutes.  The children's sermon was ten minutes.  You know that you will begin preaching with forty five minutes of the service having passed.  There is another service or Sunday school immediately behind this one.   The microphone is buzzing and making weird noises because someone thought it was a good time to adjust something.  There is a wasp winging its way around the pulpit area. It is obvious that at least two people did not sleep well during the night as they continue to yawn and do the infamous head bob.  (One can interpret this as an silent "Amen!" to your sermon, they will never know.) Two cell phones go off during the service. One of them is answered (!!) and a conversation is carried on as the person in the choir ducks out.

After church when you are exhausted.

Ms ***** tells you that it was too cold.  Ms. ****** complains that it was too hot.  Another three people come by to tell you that there were errors in the bulletin, your grammar, your reading, your robe, your tie, your shoes, your children, and yes--even your spouse.   You go to leave only to discover that no one else has thought to turn off the AC/Heater, the coffee pot, the lights, etc.

Then as you are about to walk out the door, there is one person standing there.  The middle aged man has waited patiently to see you.  He looks at you and says quietly, "I know you are probably in a hurry and tired, but I want you to know that your sermon changed my life today.  It gave me hope that life--my life--is in the hands of God.  Jesus is both my friend and Savior.  Thanks!"   And with that he walks away.

The good stuff comes in small doses. 

Hold on the good stuff.  It will keep you safe from all the other.

Pray for me as I pray for you.

In the Master's Name,


Dr. M. Jack O'Dell
www.midweekmanna.com
www.stlukesimpson.org