Elders and Comets

Last evening was an Elder meeting. It was a good meeting. Praise God for good and godly men who are willing to serve the body of Christ. Even so, Elder meetings are often tiring. We make decisions with a degree of soberness that comes from the sense of responsibility and accountability before God and the people of GCBC. Our meeting was pleasantly interrupted by the home coming of a fellow from our church, Joe Andris. Joe has been on a long - short term missions endeavor on Copper Island. Copper Island is located off of the coast of Vancouver Island, B.C. It is a beautiful place which does a beautiful work with a vision to restore the Name of the Lord where it was used to abuse. I have been there and hope to go back.

The meeting went till around 11:00 P.M. Which I did not mind, this time. Because, at home my Orion ST120 was cooling down so I could take it out and look at Comet Lulin. The scope is a 5 inch refractor. The comet was easy to find because it was so close to the planet Saturn - which is beautiful in its own right. The rings of Saturn are almost "flat" in their oritentation to us right now. Someone has described it as looking like the planet with an arrow through it. And it does. I easily found Saturn just below the constellation "Leo". And, just off from Saturn, the comet Lulin. It was discovered in 2007 by Quanzhi Ye, 19, and a meteorological student of at China's Sun Yat-sen University. He was working at the the Lulin Observatory doing a sky search when he first saw the comet.

This is an image of something like I saw. It was taken by Jerry Lodriguss. My eyes did not detect the color that the image shows but I could see the shape of the comet and the bright core. (Saturn is the bright spot to the right, though the rings are not visible) It was a smudge, a "faint fuzzy". Some folks, under very dark skies, are able to detect the comet with the naked eye.



The comet will be visible for a while. You can check on the Internet for the time to go out and see it. A pair of binoculars will do, especially if they are 10X50. Expect to see a fuzz ball of light.

We are a bit like comets. We are travelers, pilgrims. We are not simply passing through, however. Followers of Christ are bringing the kingdom to bear on where they live and work. And, we look forward to a new heaven and earth. The current universe is amazing. I cannot wait to see it as it will appear liberated from the impact that the fall has had on it. In the mean time, take some time out under the clear night sky. It can be a refreshing experience.

I thought you might enjoy this video of the "Place" down in Louisiana. It is where I grew up. The video starts at the pond, pans past the pecan trees my dad planted, the shed, the house - where if you look closely you can see a grape vine my dad babied for years - the greenhouse, garage, gazebo, barn, barnyard, and concludes pointing back to the pond.

Weddings and Marriage

Someone recently asked me how many weddings I have performed in the 23+ years I have been a pastor. Good question. Early on, I did not keep records as well I do now. My estimate would be between 50 and 60. That is not a lot, considering the 23 years of ministry. Interestingly, they come in waves. This winter has been a busy one with a wedding a month: December, January, and February and a vow renewal in January. And, thankfully, the weather cooperated every time. Each ceremony was different and each was beautiful and an honor to be a part of.

The first wedding I did was July 11th, 1986 - a year into being a pastor. I do remember the ceremony was held in a building that was not air conditioned and that the temperature was about 101 degrees. I also remember standing in front of the bride and groom and having an out-of-body experience as I was speaking while thinking to myself how interesting it was to see the make-up of the bride run off of her face.

Through the years I have had a few people faint. That is always exciting - having someone keel over during the ceremony. Thankfully, no one has ever thrown up though a few have threatened. I have been amazed that I have never had to miss a wedding because of my own illness. I have an ongoing dream that I am unable to get everything together on the day of a wedding and am late. I have forgotten to "pronounce" a couple as husband and wife. Were they?I have forgotten to have couples sign the marriage license - were they married??? In the eyes of the Lord, yes. In the eyes of the state, I don't know. I enjoy the pre-martial counseling more than the ceremony itself, only because getting all the pieces right in the ceremony is a bit nerve wracking. I have witnessed heated arguments before weddings - often involving extended family and the role they may or may not have at the wedding. No one has ever asked me to sing at a wedding or dance at the reception.

Doing outside weddings is always interesting. The setting is often beautiful but the risks can be significant. Weather does not always cooperate and neither do the bugs. One outside wedding seemed to be the equivalent to one of the Mosaic plagues. Bugs are attracted to perfume.

The first thing I do when I walk out to perform a wedding is scan the crowd for my wife. Seeing her brings a sense of calm to me. And, every wedding makes me think of my own and how blessed I am. My hope for every groom is that he finds in his wife the joy and delight I have found in mine.

Doing weddings is a real privilege. The longer I do them, the more honored I am that I am asked to do them. And, I look forward to doing more in the future.

On the death of my Father

My father died in his sleep on the morning of Friday, January 30th, 2009. He was 83. We buried him on a windy, chilly, and bright Louisiana day at noon. The last weeks of his life were hard for him. And, he knew that his earthly sojourn was nearing the end. The apostle Paul's thoughts were on his mind - longing to go and be with the Lord and be free from the suffering and yet wanting to stay.

The trip from Illinois to Louisiana was eventful - we were clueless about the ice storm in southern Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. There was no power for miles and miles - meaning there were no hotels, restaurants, and at least for a while, gas stations operating. All of our plans had to change. The funeral visitation was long for us, but short by Louisiana standards. It started at 2:00 P.M. on Sunday afternoon and ended at 7:30 P.M. Some people came and stayed for the entire time. It was exhausting and exhilarating. I have never lived near family. It was so good to see them and feel a sense of kinship with them. The funeral service was what my Dad had wanted. The pastor did a good job summarizing his life and the special music was fitting. Because of the setting, we walked from the church to the graveyard preceded by the hearse and followed by guests. Because Dad was retired military, the honor guard from Barksdale Air Force Base was present. They served as pallbearers in the graveyard, folded the flag, gave a gun salute, and played taps. They were young enlisted men and it was very moving. I told them that my Dad would have been honored and pleased. We buried him beside my mother and walked back to the church for a delicious, albeit bittersweet meal.

And now. And now it is strange. Waves of sadness drift over me at odd times. It is hard for me to think of him as dead. The face of the man in the casket did not look like my Dad. It was the face of a very old, very thin, and very tired man. I still think of my father as robust. He was always strong. We will miss his phone calls, his weather reports, his expertise - in everything. He taught me to drive, to hunt, to be patient, to use tools. He was generous. Not perfect. He had a temper, felt compelled to tell everyone how to live their lives, was nosey, and could cuss a blue streak when stirred. He read little, was awarded by the Air Force for his public speaking ability, and refused to fly because of all he had seen through his work. He was a good father. I knew he loved me and was proud of me and sought to encourage me.

We are now dealing with the stuff he left behind. Some of it packed with memories, some of it mysterious. He had $18.00 stuffed in a sandwich bag in his safe. The origin and purpose of it gone with him. The sun has set on his life. Another tie binding me to this world has been broken. More and more people I love are in heaven.

Anticipation builds.

Place of Power

We recently paid a visit to our oldest son who is working as an intern at the Illinois State Capital. It is a beautiful building. The wood and marble in it are gorgeous. And, at least the portions we saw, were immaculate. The day we were there (the Friday before the impeachment trial started on the following Monday) it was nearly empty. Andrew gave us a fascinating tour of a variety of rooms including the one where the trial would be held. The building is open for folks to tour. I would encourage you to go see it - and visit the Lincoln Museum while you are in Springfield.

The above picture is of the governor's office. It is nice and clean and well kept - and unoccupied! You can barely see in the above image a statue of Elvis in the window to the left of the desk. The current governor loves Elvis. What is currently happening with our governor is tragic. It is tragic for him and it is tragic for the state. No man sins alone. We think our little peccadillo's are private. We think we can sin in the dark and get by with it. Not so. The Lord sees the night as day. The Bible warns us that we can be sure that our sins will find us out.

So, head to Springfield and take a look at the capital. Eat a horseshoe and enjoy the Lincoln Museum. And never put your trust in man, but in the Lord. He alone is worthy.

The Wind

Twin Groves Wind Farm lies in McClean County, just west of where we live. There are 240 Wind Turbine Generators that rise above the flat farm ground like giant pinwheels. They are nearly 400 feet tall from the bottom of the tower to the the top of the arc of the propellers. Gleaming white, the turbines glint in the sun as they swish round and round. As you can tell from the above video - the wind blows with some power making the generators produce electricity. It is fascinating to watch, especially by standing directly under the towers. I recently took my brother from Louisiana out to see them. It was 6 degrees and the wind was howling - not a good environment for a fellow from Louisiana.

The bible talks about the wind. There is something mysterious about it Jesus told Nicodemus. And, the scripture speaks of the Spirit in terms of the wind. I want our church to be like the wind turbines - used by the Spirit, moved by the Spirit, made for the Spirit. And, like the turbines, I want us to be a light on a hillside.

This is a photo of the thermometer in my house this morning, January 16th. When I moved to the north, I expected cold weather. But, I did not anticipate anything quite this cold. There are colder spots on the planet, but none around my house.

And so, the saga of Hoss the Boss dog continues. He has the audacity to want to go outside even when it is -17. And, at 6:22 this morning, with school canceled, I am the only one awake. I had the wonderful idea of having breakfast with someone this morning - the coldest day of the decade. Hoss was ALL AGLOW about heading outside. I can only wish that I could anticipate heaven as much as he anticipates going out. He does the "Hossy Dance" and becomes 75 pounds of wriggling, wiggling dog. His little doggy mind is thinking about rabbits and smells and 15 stops at 15 differnt bushes, and people to bark at, and jerking his owners back and forth. And so it was this morning. But, his perspective was transformed by the reality. It was a strange sight. Hoss displayed his usual exuberance of being outside. But, his outside prance was soon replaced by his tip-toeing around the yard, literally. It is as if a sumo-wrestler put on a tutu and had taken up ballet. Tip, tip, tip we go, delicately, slowly, pirouetting around, till he just stopped. It was obvious that it was uncomfortable for him and that is a bummer. But, one thing is for sure, this trip outside was of a short duration. Hoss usually walks back and forth, back and forth seeking out that one secret spot in the yard. Round and round we go an where we stop only Hoss truly knows. What that particular spot has that all the other yard does not, I don't know. It can sometimes be an agonizingly slow process. Not today. We walked out, danced on tip toes, immediately found the secret spot and headed for the door. The cold weather is aggravating, but there are some benefits.