Coming to the Still Waters

 It is the time of mowing in Colorado.  It usually doesn't last long and for us it is taming the weeds and dandelions.  Another task of a small town pastor that I have done over the 40 years of ministry.  It has always been a great time to think through again the message coming up on Sunday.  June 1 is not only our 41st wedding anniversary but also our 40th anniversary of full-time ministry. Sometimes 40 years means covering for each other at times.  Stephanie is in Florida caring for her parents so I had the privilege of getting the Family Dinner Night ready.  It was wings' night along with potato salad and baked beans.  All things I could handle.  It is a time of grief for Steph.  We lost our dog of 11 years, Buddy, just recently to cancer and now she is sitting beside her father in his last stages of life.  The last words and last actions can be so vital to hear and see.  I am so thankful Stephanie is there as I was last yea...

  One of the tomato plants for the deck this year.  The house is looking like a greenhouse lately as we get ready for the growing season window in this part of the country.  Stephanie has the green thumb and I'm the water boy. We finished up Jesus' 5th sermon, the Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24 & 25, this Sunday.  It was great to go through this passage again with Jesus speaking directly about His 2nd coming.  He makes it clear that there are only 2 groups and 2 destinations.  This week we looked at His sheep on His right hand and the goats on the left.  One is judged to eternal life and the other to eternal punishment.   It was interesting to see how Jesus used possession when speaking about His sheep and left off the possession when He talked about the goats.  Jesus also went back to the theme of focusing more on the " how " rather than the " when " and " what ."  He focused on how the sheep were responding and how the goats w...

The logo above represents an investigation that is going a little deeper tonight in the fellowship hall of the church.  We, as an small independent church, are exploring options that would help us with spiritual oversight and financial sustainability.  This is just one of the avenues we have been praying about.  As we think about the possibility of coming under the " umbrella " of another, we have to discern that this organization is also in total submission to the word of God.  From what I know of the EFCA, I believe they are and I am thankful for the opportunity to hear from a representative of the district about their Bible based mission, purpose and vision.  Pray with us and for us that we would see if this is the direction in which we should pursue for God's glory. We are nearing the end of the Olivet Discourse and Jesus has been generally answering the " when " and " what " questions of His disciples but also specifically answering the " how...

  Being 61 and approaching 62, it is part of me to be " old school ."  I count it a privilege to live through all the technological changes in the life of not only our world but the church.   I went from bulletin boards to handouts to overhead projectors to screens to webpages to video platforms to apps and it keeps going on.  The picture above is some of my " old school " coming out that you see in the lobby of our church.  I try to keep this white board up to date with the latest at SCC.  You have to be able to read my printing and I am amazed at how we have adapted to pull out our cell phones and take a pic of it.  What was old still works at times and sometimes it has even more impact than the new stuff.  I think I have well adapted to communicating via email and cherish personal responses that come into my inbox but a hand written letter that has made it through the USPS system to my mailbox still takes it to another level.   J...