lighthousegroove

I was at Mount Angel Abbey and Seminary in Mount Angel, Oregon this week. I was on a retreat there with nine other pastors who wanted to think about the pastoral task, but who also wanted to be alone with God. While I was there, I was reminded again that we believers are pilgrims on a journey to heaven. This world—as wonderful as it is—is not our home. Our spiritual journey is most important. Spiritually, we must always be on the move.

My Mount Angel retreat reminded me that since we are all spiritual travelers, two priorities help us on our journey. We must do what it takes to care for our souls, and we must have companions to help us on the journey.

Soul care keeps us healthy for the journey. It’s about being alert to everything that will keep our hearts soft to God and connected to Him. One aspect of soul care includes times of solitude like I had this last week: Times in which we turn off the roar of life and listen to the whispers of God. Certainly, this can happen in our daily devotions, but there is something refreshing about setting aside half a day or longer to be with Jesus. The “roar of life” seems to lessen a bit, so that our ears become more attuned to God’s voice.

I must confess that for me, soul care can be difficult because I’m impatient. I want to “about my business.” I want to get up and “do something.” But when I slow down to take prayer walks, or spend an extended time of listening, my soul benefits because I allow God access to my heart in a greater way. I look inward to attune my heart to God’s.

Mount Angel Abbey helped me to do that this week.

Spiritual travelers also need travel companions, brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we share our journey and who help keep us along the path. For that reason, it was great to spend a few days with fellow pastors at Mount Angel. But far more impactful on my journey are the people I see every week, the brothers and sisters with home I walk daily. This begins with my wife, Naomi, but extends to so many dear brothers and sisters who love me, and watch to make sure I’m on the right path. This means so much to me.

Of course, sometimes I shy away from these fellow travelers, wanting to hide my life and shield it from their scrutiny. Like some obstinate pre-schooler, I want to “do it myself.” But over and over again, God directs me back to my “travel companions” who help me stay on God’s path.

What about you? Are you embracing soul care and “traveling companions” to help you to stay on the spiritual path? How do you do it? What works for you?

Blessings. Pastor Art

If you’re relatively new at Lighthouse, you might not know that my wife Naomi and I will be away on a mini-sabbatical during the month of August. We have a lot of activities planned for the next 30 days, but it all boils down to rest, relax and recreate. We’ll go to a Mariner’s game, spend time hiking with our son and daughter-in-law in Leavenworth, go to the Oregon beach for several days, do lots of walks together, some dancing and even get a few chores done.

I want to thank the Leadership Committee for their generosity in providing these weeks of sabbatical for me and thanks to many in the congregation who will pray for us while we’re away. It was truly a time for perspective and renewal.

I know; it’s a lot of time away this summer. I can only say that after twenty years of ministry at Lighthouse, it’s a great way to revitalize my vision and heart for ministry. I’m praying, planning and hoping that I will have the privilege of pasturing Lighthouse for another ten to twelve years. Since that’s true, these little mini-sabbaticals help keep me fresh.

Now, tell me what you will be doing in August that will be fun.  Come on, how will you rest and recharge in the month ahead?  Let me know.

I’ll see you all back at Lighthouse on September 3. Have a great August!

Pastor Art

First day of March.  I don’t about you, but that’s the date when I think, “Winter is almost over—Spring is almost here!”  I know that our Northwest winters aren’t usually all that painful.  It’s true however, that we often have a three month long gray cloud over our heads from December through February.   Whether March 1 is clear, rainy or cloudy, my thoughts are still, “Spring is coming!”  My heart is encouraged when I think, “Sunny skies and warmer temperatures are just around the corner.”

The same is true for “winter seasons” in my life:  A long project that claims much thought and energy; a time of illness for me or someone in my family; a season of failure; a loss of some kind; they all can feel at times like “winter.”

Here’s what I love about my relationship with God:  I am never stuck in winter! There is always “a first day of March,” a time when God’s Spirit encourages me and helps me to see that “Spring is coming; sunnier skies are just around the corner.”   Often this happens when I’m reminded of one of God’s promises.  Maybe it’s the fact God will never leave me or forsake me.  Maybe it’s His promise to give me wisdom.  Maybe it’s the guarantee of His presence.  But what happens is that the Spirit reminds me that “Spring is just ahead,” that blue skies are not gone forever!

Since we’re made of flesh, it’s only natural that we would sometimes feel in the midst of winter, that we would allow the grey skies of our situation to impact us emotionally.  But on this first day of March remember that Your Father has Your life in His hands, that He cares for You and that, in His timing, “Spring is just ahead.”

Be encouraged this day!

Blessings.  Pastor Art

I love the Christmas season. Yes, I know that the birth of Christ has been commercialized and secularized.  If you watch a TV program or movie that revolves around Christmas, often the birth of Christ is misrepresented.    Our culture takes a phrase like “peace on earth,” or “the spirit of giving” and thinks they’ve got it.   They miss God’s true gift to planet earth, Jesus Christ.

Having said that, I still love the Christmas season.   After all, culture gets a lot of things wrong.  They don’t understand the covenant partnership of marriage. They distort the meaning of sex. They even get church wrong, thinking it’s a place for people who want to follow a bunch of rules.   I’m not giving up on my  Christmas celebrations simply because the world gets it wrong.

What I love about the season revolves around a heightened sense of God’s love for me. I’m reminded all month that a loving God did everything that was needed to begin a relationship with me. His mercy and love and grace overwhelmed mankind through the birth of the Christ-child. That just puts a smile on my face.

What else do I love about Christmas? Family time. Our family gathers together at Christmas. We see Naomi’s parents, our three grown children and their spouses, as well as our grandson. We play games, and talk and eat and laugh. It’s a joy.

Finally, I love giving at Christmas. Truthfully, when you get my age, you don’t want very much, and much of what you do want, you can get. What I really enjoy at Christmas is blessing others, starting with my family and then others in need. If I could, I’d designate half my salary to Christmas every year!

I don’t let our secularized culture ruin Christmas for me. It’s something I look forward to and enjoy.

What about you? What do you like about Christmas? What special things are you planning for the season?

Blessings. Pastor Art

Reading has been my joy since I was just a little boy.  By the time I was 10, I looked forward to the days when my class would go to the school library to pick out one or two books to read.  I remember staying up way to late on school nights finishing an exciting story I just couldn’t put down.

Though I’m no longer an active reader in this genre, as a teenager I absolutely devoured science fiction.  I started with Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “Martian Series” and then went on to the classic writers, Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert and the like.  I spent many happy hours lost in these writers’ imaginative stories.

In the years after that, my reading continued to be constant and varied.   Since I completed a B.A., an M.A. and a D.Min. between 1971 to 1991, my reading contained a lot of nonfiction.  But even during those times of study, there was always a fiction novel lying on my bedside table, often books like Tom Clancy’s, The Hunt for Red October or The Cardinal of the Kremlin.

It’s true that my years as a father tended to cut into my personal reading time, but one of my great joys was to read to our children.  As soon as they were old enough to listen to a story, Naomi and I loved reading to them.  I have great memories of reading “The Berenstain Bears” series to my kids.  When they all got a bit older, I would read books out loud to the whole family.  We read C.S.Lewis’ “Narnia” series twice out loud as a family.  We also read Dickens’ Christian Carol, and even the mysterious and captivating book, The Hobbit.

These last years have been particularly fun because I’ve had a bit more time.  Several years ago, a friend of mine handed me a Louie L’Amour novel.  I told him, “I don’t read westerns.” He said, “Just try it.”  I did, and then went on to read all 100 of his novels. . .twice!  Another favorite author over these last several years has been the mystery/adventure writer, Dick Francis.  He has written 30 or so very enjoyable novels that revolve around the intrigue of the horse racing world.  And of course, I enjoy many popular fiction writers of our day from Vince Flynn to Lee Child.  Currently on my bedside table is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer.

My nonfiction novels these days run to books like Leadership Coaching by Tony Stoltzfus and Church Unique by Will Mancini.  But no matter how many much I learn from these books, my heart is always drawn back to the imaginative stories that I began reading as a little boy.  Chances are that sometime this year, I’ll be staying up way to late finishing an exciting story that I just can’t put down.

Pastor Art

PS What about you?  How about sharing one or two book titles that you’ve enjoyed this last year.