Today was quite a day.  Instead of trying to explain why, I will post this statement that I shared with the church at the conclusion of the morning worship service:

Dear Congregation:

As we approach the end of the year, I contemplate all that has gone on in 2004 and also in my last nine years with you, my church family.  Over these last years, we have gone through many experiences, sorrows, and joys together.  When I first arrived at this church, I was a young, idealistic eighteen year-old college freshman.  You have watched me grow and mature, and I have watched many of you grow and mature in the Lord. 

The glory of God must be our chief goal: during our years together, I do believe that we have brought glory to the Lord through our worship and service to Him.  Every Sunday, I have stood behind this holy desk with the high calling of preaching, not the thoughts of men, but the Word of God.  Every week, week-in and week-out, I have taken this responsibility extremely seriously, knowing that I will stand before the Judge and give account for what I teach and for how I shepherd this flock.

As you know, there have been significant discussions regarding major changes for this church—most notably moving from this building to new facilities.  The church will face transitions, and I will face many significant opportunities and changes in my own life as well.

Last Sunday, December 19, 2004, I presented to Carl Cole, the chairman of the board of elders, my resignation as Senior Pastor.  I have been offered a great opportunity out of state, which I have accepted.

I sincerely thank you, the board of elders, as well as the entire congregation for the love and support you have given me during the past nine years.  These have been some of the most wonderful years of my life.  I will forever love my church family at this church and will cherish my memories with you all.

I will, in every possible way, attempt to make this transition as smooth as possible for you, the congregation.  As I discussed with Carl Cole, my last Sunday with you will be January 9, 2005.

I write this letter with great sadness because I long to continue on at this church forever; at the same time, I resign with eager anticipation, knowing that the wonderful opportunities in front of me are too exciting to disregard.

Serving the Master,

Your Pastor

Christmas Eve’s Eve

Greetings!  Just two more days until Christmas!  Yes, I find the experience of being all done with my shopping very thrilling (there have been years in the past, when I was working full time and going to graduate school full time, when I did not even BEGIN my shopping until right about now).  There were only a few gifts that I did not buy online this year.  Buying gifts online is a little disconcerting because there is an uncontainable desire to actually see and handle the gifts for my family and friends (hmmm. . . that sentence reminds me of 1 John 1). 

Thought for Today

“Though there were auspicious signs that preceded and accompanied his birth, preparing the world for the majestic and kingly, the birth of Jesus itself was of the humblest peasant parentage, in an unimportant town, and in the roughest of buildings. He made a career of rejecting marks of status or privilege: He loved lepers, washed the feet of his disciples, befriended little children, encouraged women to join his entourage, and, finally, submitted to crucifixion by a foreign power.”

Eugene H. Peterson, Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work

Interesting Link for Today

The British Museum

Presidential Pardons

President Bush granted four pardons Tuesday, bringing to just 31 the total of pardons and sentence commutations he has issued during his first term, the Justice Department announced today.  Compare this to 71 pardons given by his father during his one term and 456 given by Clinton during his two terms. 

Here’s the story:

Presidential Pardons

The Boring Pastor

A n elderly woman walked into the local country church. The friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps. "Where would you like to sit?" he asked politely.
      
      "The front row please." she answered.
      
      "You really don't want to do that", the usher said.
      
      "The pastor is really boring."
      
      "Do you happen to know who I am?" the woman inquired.
      
      "No." he said.
      
      "I'm the pastor's mother," she replied indignantly.
      
      "Do you know who I am?" he asked.
      
      "No." she said.
      
      "Good", he answered.

The Lakers Lose. . . Again

Is it just me, or is it very hard to get excited about Laker basketball this season.  On paper, the Laker team really looks quite good: Kobe, Odem, Butler, Vlade, Mihm, Atkins and the rest should, theoretically, be a very exciting team to watch.  In the little bit that I have seen them this season, I have been rather unimpressed with their lackadaisical play.  Whose fault is that?  Everyone seems to be jumping on the bandwagon to tar and feather Kobe Bryant, which I think is rather ludicrous.  Thus far, I blame either the fact that the new Laker players are not gelling well yet or else the coaching staff (the Lakers are getting outplayed—they are usually not “out-talented”).  So, we will see what the rest of the season holds.

Michael Reagan: Twice Adopted

I found an interesting article that I thought was worth reading.  Here is a preview:

As the son of a president and a King, it was Michael Reagan’s adoption by a Hollywood power couple that opened doors from Beverly Hills to the White House. It was, however, the royal pedigree of his adoption into the Kingdom of God that brought Reagan healing from a childhood hijacked by sexual abuse.

Click below for the full story:

Michael Reagan

A Laugh for Today

 An old preacher was dying. He sent a message for his banker and his lawyer, both church members, to come to his home.

When they arrived, they were ushered up to his bedroom. As they entered the room, the preacher held out his hands and motioned for them to sit on each side of the bed. The preacher grasped their hands, sighed contentedly, smiled, and stared at the ceiling. For a time, no one said anything.

Both the banker and lawyer were touched and flattered that the preacher would ask them to be with him during his final moments. They were also puzzled; the preacher had never given them any indication that he particularly liked either of them. They both remembered his many long, uncomfortable sermons about greed, covetousness, and avaricious behaviour that made them squirm in their seats.

Finally, the banker said, "Preacher, why did you ask us to come?"

The old preacher mustered up his strength and then said weakly, "Jesus died between two thieves, and that's how I want to go."

What’s the Weather Like Outside?  Hmmm. . . I’ll Check My Blog

Yes, I added something new and exciting to the blog: if you look on the right-hand column, just below the counter, you will find a “weather station.”  This will always tell the current weather conditions of my location (Pomona, California). 

For those around the world, you will be able to quickly see what the weather is out here.  For church members, you will be able to find out the weather conditions at the church (and clicking on the picture will immediately take you to an extended forecast for the Pomona, California).

Let’s Get Ready to Rumble!  Target vs. Wal-Mart

Wow!  As Target faces a pubic-relations fiasco amongst the Christian community for kicking the Salvation Army out of their store-fronts, Wal-Mart has swooped in and stolen the thunder with two very swift moves.  First of all, Wal-Mart has invited the Salvation Army to bring their (in)famous kettles to their stores.  Second, the team of blue vests is truly putting Target to shame by donating one million dollars to the Salvation Army. 

I guess everybody is happy now: Target doesn’t have to worry about those “annoying kettles,” while the Salvation Army will be able to meet their budget.  In my estimation, the big winner here is Wal-Mart—they should be on their knees praising God for the marketing coup that fell into their laps.

Here is the part of the official release from Wal-Mart:

"We hope our customers join us in donating what they can to benefit an organization that does so much in our communities to serve families in need," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Betsy Reithemeyer said in a news release. "The Salvation Army red kettles and the bell ringers are truly a holiday tradition worth keeping."

Here’s a story on the issue:

Wal-Mart Offers Aid to Salvation Army

The Party’s Over

The choir member just left a few minutes ago (and I have everything just about all cleaned up).  Together, we had a very pleasant time of fun, food, and fellowship.  We had a white elephant gift exchange (with the ability to snag gifts from those who already opened one).  Congratulations to Fran who was able to end up with the Tigger she had her eye on.  Congrats, Sheryl, who got a very nice, electric fish aquarium (you’d have to see it, I can’t do it justice).

Bible Study

Tonight, we continued our study in the book of Acts, examining how gentiles (non-Jews) became part of the church.  Acts is an incredibly exciting book—at least I think it is.

December 15 in History

Taken from www.HistoryNet.com

Dude, I Love Dell!

Yes, I am thrilled with Dell right now, so I will share with you all why I am so pleased.  As I mentioned this past weekend, I called Dell on Friday because I was having a bit of trouble with the keyboard (the letter “A” kept falling off).  Dell quickly said, “We will replace the internal keyboard for you.”  Within about an hour, they had sent a carrier to me with a padded case to pick up the notebook (this was Friday at about 3:00 p.m.).  The computer arrived at Dell on Saturday morning (the service department claims to be closed during the weekend).  Monday morning, they replaced my keyboard and even updated my BIOS to the 2005 version.  Again, my notebook was handed over to a carrier and delivered back into my hands this morning.  All of this service and they did not even try to charge me a cent (not even for postage).  Yes, I am very pleased with Dell right now. 

Getting Ready for a Christmas Party

Tomorrow night, I will be hosting a Christmas party at my house for the choir members (I am looking forward to having you all over).  We will have a great time of fellowship and refreshments as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

The LA Times Drama

Apparently, the Los Angeles Times is not too fond of having paying customers discontinue their subscriptions due to rude note scrawled on newspapers by the delivery personal.  I received a call from a gentlemen at their headquarters who is apparently rather high up in the organization.  Although I had already cancelled my service, they requested that I fax them a copy of the note; then, they picked up the original so that they could confront the carrier.  Who would have ever thought that newspaper delivery service could be so complicated?

It’s been a few days, but it’s back. . .

December 14 in History

Taken from www.HistoryNet.com