One of the only traditions I've managed to keep on this blog is my yearly post of my reading amounts. This year I read, 11,779 pages, certainly not the most since I started keeping track in 2004 but overall not to bad of a year. That number averages out to 981.58 pgs per month, 245.39 per week, and 35.05 per day. One thing I noticed in this years list is that I can see the flow of where I've been reading this year much more noticeably. For instance at the beginning of the year I have several books marked as excellent such as "Not Your Parents Offering Plate" by J. Clif Christopher, and "Sticky Church" by Larry Osborne. Both are excellent books in their own right, but when I reflect on the year these two books were excellent particularly because they were dealing with issues I was and continue to work on in my church. I also noticed that my reading list is far less eclectic than all of the other years. This is something that has greatly concerned me, I do so much reading for work that reading has become less of a relaxer for me than it used to. I hope to resolve this issue in a couple of different ways. For one I have decided to join the digital reading world with the purchase of a Barnes and Noble Nook. I've compared all of the ereaders out there and it was the only one I took a liking to. I'm hoping this will help me do more recreational reading for several reasons. For one the books are cheaper. Also being a Methodist minister I can look forward to moving several times in my ministerial career and if you haven't moved 15-20 boxes of books (which is what I currently do) you can't believe the stress relief that carrying an ebook with most of your library on it could do.
Hopefully this year will be better on the reading score, I do plan on posting here soon about what I am currently engaged in as my R&R from work, and the plans I have for my "new" hobby.
Ecclesiastes 11:5 5 As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.
I love technology. I love getting the newest forms of technology (when I have the money), I even Love playing with new technology in stores if I can’t afford it. The thing about technology is it is almost always about controlling something. For example, a smart phone (which no, I don’t have one) is equipped with software to sync your colander, contacts, music, and email. A smart phone’s purpose is to help you control your calendar, as well as your various entertainments. Control is something we tend to try and exert over most areas in our lives, this verse from Ecclesiastes reminds us that ultimately we aren’t in control. I am not going to make the argument about how much God controls or even how much we as humans can know, but there is something to the idea of realizing that we can’t know, we can’t control all of it. I think the danger in many people’s Christianity is the attempt either to know it all or to know with certainty (or control). We forget, especially concerning our faith that we can’t know everything or how everything works. For example, I am a Trinitarian, but the reality of that doctrine is that I can’t fully comprehend it, and because I know that I know that when I try to understand it I’m probably getting some things wrong and the reality is, that’s okay. The understanding that we need to leave the control to God, to allow some mystery is a great lesson to remember.
Ecclesiastes 10:10 10 If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success.”
Wisdom sharpens you. That’s the basic message of this verse. I’ve often thought about this, especially in the last several weeks. My personality is one that I am quick to respond and I feel often because of that I don’t feel as sharp as I should be. I have been praying and seeking to be more “quiet” in response to people and situations, I’ve been seeking to keep my ax sharp so that when I reply it is with thought and decision. Another aspect of this verse for me is how wisdom is acquired. A few weeks ago I expressed to a friend my frustration with church recently. I have never been one to read just church books, by this I mean church leadership, worship, or history. I’ve always been very eclectic in my reading selection mixing in a fair amount of classic literature, fiction, science fiction, and fantasy. Lately I have struggled to do that. I have increasingly struggled to read anything except church writings. I think this is one of the reasons I haven’t been posting as much, everything is church and it is difficult to write when you know church is reading (sorry if I just offended anyone). Keeping the ax sharp is something I’m striving to do, something I desire to do. The only way to accomplish it is to concentrate on it.
Ecclesiastes 9:7-10
"7 Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works. 8 Let your garments always be white, And let your head lack no oil. 9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going."
This section of verses in my opinion is the consummate summation of the entire book of Ecclesiastes. There are a lot of lessons just in this small section of verses that I feel that I and we as a nation need and should learn. Now anyone who reads what I occasionally write on this blog will realize that I am not a fan of saying things that apply to our nation, I have a tendency to focus on the individual and the work that we are to do in our own lives. However lately due to being engaged with a book entitled “I Was in Prison,” a book on a United Methodist perspective of Prison Ministry. While I am still reading, thinking and praying on how I should be involved on prison ministry, I have found the call to be more mindful of the call to action on social issues to be a timely reminder for me.
In verse seven I have to address something that is a potential stress point for many Christians. “For God has already accepted your works.” KJV 9:1b. I know some people would take this to mean that God doesn’t care what you do, do whatever you want its all okay. That is not the purpose of this particular verse. The purpose in my opinion is to affirm Gods general approval of life, not an affirmation of certain behaviors good or bad. This harkens back to the beginning of the Genesis stories, where after God creates he gives the affirmation…it is good. This is an affirmation that life and being alive is something that God approves of.
Verse 8-10 can be summed up in two admonitions. The first one is enjoy your spouse, and the second one is enjoy the work that you do. Admittedly the first point says wife but especially today we need to remember that gender differentiation isn’t as important as the spirit of the message. Now this admonition is not an excuse to stay in an abusive relationship, it is a call for us to enjoy the time we have. Divorce rate is sky rocketing, and I have counseled several people who have gone through divorce and then attempt to work out their issues. I feel there is something to be said for an investment of time and enjoyment of what the couple has. Katie and I have now been together for ten years (that’s including dating) and there are still things that she does that drives me up the wall and I know (because I sometimes provoke her) that I do something’s that annoy her. The fact of the matter is we recognize that there are things we do together and we really enjoy it, everything from sharing a meal to intimacy.
Katie and I have both realized that when there is something wrong we have remembered what is good. In a culture in which divorce is cheap and it seems that some people give up on their relationships right when things get tough we need the reminder to enjoy the company of each other and not just trade out spouses.
The second admonition is that we are to enjoy the work we do. I take what I feel is kind of a primal enjoyment out of doing work, both physical and mental. This primal experience for me is independent from what work I am doing. What I mean by this is that even if it’s a job that I don’t like there is an enjoyment and satisfaction that come from completing that job. I feel this is an important concept to remember in our society when we deal with job losses and getting a new job. Something that each of us need to remember is that no matter what we do as a job we need to do it as well as we can and enjoy what we can.
I am a fan of the TV show “Dirty Jobs” and one thing that I notice consistently is that the people doing the “Dirty Jobs” they love what they do. They take an enjoyment from their job and the completion of that job. Too many of us forget that. For instance I’ve met a number of ministers that hate what they do and forget the beautiful things that happen. I’ll admit sometimes that happens to me. But these verses, remind us of the beauty of work. The approval of God, the beauty of relationships, and the beauty of work are what we are to remember in our lives today and all the more important in our society.
I work all the time, and there is something that I have noticed lately about working while being a pastor, and that is that I don’t feel like I’m working. Just a few months ago, for the provisioner process in the Eastern Pa conference I mapped out all my hours. What I found was that I am averaging 60 hours a week, and right now I know if I took the time to map out my hours again I would find the same average being maintained. There are a couple of reasons I find this fascinating, one is that I have had some really rough weeks, tough conversations, and even tougher situations and more often than not I still want to go to work the next day. Another item that I find fascinating is that I while I may be running around doing things, I find that I still like my job. There has been trying experiences in the past two years, there have been situations I wish I would never have been put in, but I still enjoy doing what I do. I love being able to study scripture, foster community, and engage in worship with others.
The desire I have in my life right now is to continue to have that joy. I want to continue seeking God’s input and direction as I work on and with his church.
What a rough night. Bible study is normally good, and I guess it was still good tonight. But when I had to say that a child's behavior in the sanctuary was off limits for discussion it became maybe we need a pastor who is more "seasoned." I'm tiered of being told that I'm not old enough, that a congregation is molding me to be what they want. I've resisted molding by two very different schools of thought at VFCC and LTS, and while I am learning from this church, I refuse to be molded into any one set type of pastor other than what God would have me be. And I don't think they liked it...I don't know...
Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 NIV
"13 Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? 14 When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future. "
I take these verses to be a reminder to all of us about the reality of life. From what I've seen its always easy for people to praise God when things are going well, the problem is when things are difficult. The bad times are the moments when we refuse to acknowledge both our part and Gods part of the bad times. In the words of the teacher here God does have a part in the bad times. Something I'm going to have to think about is the part of God in the good and bad within Ecclesiastes. At the moment I think with this passage maybe the most important part of it is the first part of the verse, "who can straighten what he has made crooked?" Sometimes we need to leave things, leave situations as God intends. That's the difficult part of life.
