Vacations are wonderful times of rest and refreshment.  They can help remind us that God is always with us and that God is the true source of all that is good in life.  They provide quality time with family and friends and help us keep perspective on what is important.  We all love vacations but they do not last forever.  As great as the mountain top or beach experiences have been, there comes that time when we have to go home again.  Arriving home does have some blessings.  We get to sleep in our own bed and the entire family can get back into a normal routine.  For parents, this week will be a sweet relief because as school starts, families will get back into the routines that provide the structure and balance that are helpful for children, youth and parents.

But heading home and back to work or back to school has its own challenges too and today we can learn from Jesus how to be equipped and ready.  Jesus and three of his closest friends, Peter, James and John, went on a type of vacation.  They went to the top of a mountain and when they got there Jesus was transfigured in front them.  Jesus clothes became dazzling white.  He was literally radiating the glory of God and then standing with Jesus were Moses and Elijah.  The presence and power of God had come down onto the mountain.  Mark 9:2-4

Peter is so overcome by this he really doesn’t know what to say or do so he suggests building three booths, one for Jesus, one of Moses and one for Elijah.  Mark 9:5-6

There are several ideas about what Peter might be thinking here.  One is that Peter wanted to set up camp on the mountain and just stay there in the glory of God.  It was such a wonderful and powerful moment that Peter didn’t want to leave.  Isn’t this often how we feel on vacation?  Sitting at the beach watching the sunrise or the waves roll in we often think to ourselves, I’d like to stay in this moment forever.  One of my favorite places through the years has been the Smokey Mountains and I love to sit at the top of Mt. Leconte and I have often thought how great it would be to just stay there forever – or at least until the next storm blows through.
Peter may be thinking that this is the moment they have been waiting for and so they should stay there and not return to the stress and problems of life, but this could also be a call to worship.  God told the people to worship him once a year by building and living in booths that reminded the people of how God led them through the wilderness and into Promised Land.  Building the booths and spending time there wasn’t like the Grange Fair – it was more an act of worship.  So maybe Peter is saying that they need to stay in worship on the mountain top, but either way, he is wanting to stay there.

But in time the glory of God fades and Jesus and the disciples head home again and it is what happens when they come down off the mountain that can help us when we have to return to the real world.  Mark 9:14-29.

How many of you have gone home and been immediately overwhelmed with all the work you have to do.  The grass has to be mowed, laundry has to be done and you have to go to the store.  Then you head to work on Monday and you find your desk full of problems and people waiting in a line at your door to talk to you about all the things that didn’t get done while you were away that need to get down now.  Those are the moments we ask ourselves, why did I come home?  I’m sure there was a part of Jesus that was thinking, why didn’t I stay on the mountain?  In fact, we hear some of Jesus’ frustration when he says How long shall I stay with you and how long shall I put up with you.

Jesus has come back from vacation only to be confronted with the ongoing needs of the people, a child who has been possessed by a demon his entire life and is in need of healing, and the needs of his own disciples who still can’t do the work Jesus has for them to do and a crowd that still doesn’t understand who Jesus is and what he has to offer.  There is some frustration Jesus has and some weariness at getting back to the “real world” and yet, Jesus does the work he has been sent here to do.
Jesus calls the boy to come to him, he listens to the father and has compassion on their situation.  Jesus uses the moment to teach the people and calls everyone to have greater faith in God and then he heals the child.  Jesus has jumped back into work and from his example we learn what we need to when we arrive home or start back to work or back to school or get back into the routine of life.

The first thing we need to remember is that Jesus is not coming down the mountain the same person he was when he went up.  On the mountain top, Jesus has been transfigured, the power and glory of God infused his life and gave him power and perhaps a renewed sense of purpose and meaning.  Jesus comes down the mountain with renewed energy and focus which helps him confront the burdens and problems of life and that is the value of worship.

Regular times of worship are important because this is our opportunity to enter into the presence of God.  This is where the glory of God can infuse our hearts and lives and help clear and prioritize our minds so that we can face the burdens, responsibility and challenges of life.  Worship can be a wonderful time of fellowship and a great time of learning but the single most vital element of worship is that we believe it is here that we are able to enter into the presence of God.  Jesus said, where two or more are gathered together in my name, I am there with you.  While God is certainly always with us, worship is the time for us to intentionally be in and open ourselves up to the power and presence of God.  This is what helped Jesus deal with the stress and challenges when he came down the mountain and this is what equips and empowers us to handle all that life throws at us.

Regular times of worship are needed so we can face the struggles of our jobs, disappointments of life, the trials of our families and the needs of those around us.  Worship is where we get strength and power and while we may not feel it week in and week out, it is in our times of worship that we are fed and nurtured and strengthened.  As you head back to work or into this new school year there will be a lot of competition for this time on Sundays.  There will be family events, household chores, sports and school activities and sleep that will all pull us from this time together but Jesus shows us that this time of worship is crucial if we are going to face all that life throws at us.  Worship helps strengthen us and prepare us and equip us.

But it was not just worship that took place on the mountain top, when God spoke he said something important.  Only two times in the gospels does God speak and both times God said the same thing.  This is my Son, whom I love.  But this time God added another sentence – a directive really – listen to him.  We are not just to worship God and draw strength from God’s power and presence but we are to listen and learn from Jesus.  So worship is important but so is the study of God’s word.

Listening to Jesus in a small group setting where we can work together to understand his teaching is important.  Look at Peter, he was right there with Jesus on the mountain top and yet didn’t understand what was going on.  The disciples watched Jesus heal the boy but they didn’t understand how he did it.  They needed small group time to ask questions and learn.  We all need help in understanding what God is saying to us and we need to support one another in figuring out how to live out what we hear.  As we head back to work, back to school or just back into the normal routines of life as the summer comes to an end, I want to encourage you to read, study and reflect on the word of Jesus.

Take time to personally listen to Jesus by reading his word daily.  Pick up a devotional, go online or just start reading the story of Jesus in one of the gospels to hear what he has to say.  Our children and youth are going to be reading through the story of the Bible in our children and youth ministry this school year so now would be a great time for them to get connected.  Each week we provide Bible studies, Sunday School classes and small groups where people come together to listen to God’s word and discuss together how to apply it to our lives.  As a new sermon and small group series starts up in a few weeks, now is the best time to get plugged in.

Growing in our faith doesn’t just happen.  It doesn’t just happen by being present in worship or being in the glory of God – we must also take the time to listen and learn.  God gives us all we need for life and all the instructions and guidance we need to face every stress and problem that comes our way, but we have to make the time to listen and learn what God has said.

When Jesus came down the mountain and faced the problems of the people and the failure of his disciples, He also took the time to reach out in love.  Jesus had the boy brought to him.  Because of his love, Jesus saw and felt his pain.  Jesus invited the father to share his heart and story, he encouraged him to have faith and then he offered hope and help.  This is love.  Love is seeing the pain and problems that people are going through.  Love is inviting people to share their story, Love is offering encouragement and faith and then offering hope and help.  Jesus loves and as we head home, as we head back to work and back to school and back into the routines of life we also need to take every opportunity we have to love.

Loving others starts by seeing the pain and problems of others.  How often do we stop to see beyond our own pain to the struggles and hurts that others are going through?  Love calls us to see beyond our own lives and families to the pain of others.  Love calls us to put the needs of others before our own.  It is so easy to get caught up in our own lives and problems that we fail to even notice those around us who might simply need someone who will listen to them and love them.

Love is also listening to people.  The fast pace at which we move often leads us to think that there is no one who will listen to us, no one there really for us.  As connected as we are through social media, people also feel more isolated and alone today so it is an act of love when we will take the time to stop and listen.  In our families are we really taking the time to listen?  At our jobs and with our coworkers, are we willing to take the time to listen?  We can be a blessing when we listen but the truth is that we are also blessed when we listen.  Loving others blesses us.  
So as we head home again, Jesus shows us that worship and study and love are important routines that are needed in life, but there is one more specific thing that Jesus directs us to do and that is pray.  When the disciples ask why they could not drive out the demon and do the same work Jesus did he told them in that situation what was needed was prayer.  Mark 9:29.

Prayer is essential to our lives.  Prayer is what give us power and helps define our purpose and opens the door for God to fuel us with his passion.  Daily prayer can focus our thoughts and shape our schedules and lead us to the people and places where God wants us. Prayer is not an easy thing.  I told myself in college that I was going to pray for an hour every day.  I sat in my room, shut the door in about 4 minutes I was done.  I couldn’t think of anything else to pray for.  I had prayed for everyone and everything – literally.  But I sat there for another 56 minutes and it was hard.  The disciple of prayer is not easy, but it can be learned and we can use the prayers of the bible as models and examples and actual prayers to pray.

The book of Psalms are prayers that we can pray every day.  If you want to develop the habit of daily prayer than commit to reading one psalm every day for the next six weeks.  Before you leave your room in the morning or before you leave the breakfast table each day - read one psalm.  Print out a psalm and take it with you to read at lunch or during a break at work or before a class starts at school.  Read one psalm before you go to bed at night.  It is prayer that gives us the strength and the power to do more than what we can do in our own and that’s really what Jesus is saying here.

The disciples asked how to drive out that demon, how can we do what you Jesus?  Jesus response was - pray.  If you are heading home again and feeling overwhelmed, if you are heading back to work or back to school and feeling like you aren’t going to be able to do all that is going to be asked of you, pray.  Prayer reminds us that God is with us, it reminds us that God loves us and that God is for us and prayer gives us strength and power and peace.

Vacations are over and we all have to head home again.  We head back to school, back to work, back to the real world and as we do there are 4 things that Jesus shows us and tells that can help.
• Worship
• Study
• Love
• Pray


Next Steps
Vacation – Home Again

1. Worship
• Commit to being in worship every week.  Make this a priority for you and your family and guard the time when other events and activities come along.
• If you miss Sunday morning worship, create times of worship at home by reading God’s word at a meal and spending time in prayer.

2. Study
• Join a Small Group, Sunday School Class or Bible Study this fall.  
• Make sure your children and youth take part in church ministries this year so they can learn “The Story” of God as told in the Bible.

3. Love
• Take 5 minutes at work, school and in your neighborhood to notice the people around you.
o What needs do you see?
o What hurts can you address?
o Who needs someone to listen to their story?
• Reach out in love to help meet the needs you see.

4. Pray
• Pray one psalm every day to build a habit of prayer.
• Pray as a family at meals, at night or before children leave for school in the morning.
• Pray for all students, parents, teachers and school workers as they begin this new school year
God, watch over our students as they head back to school.  Keep them safe, healthy and growing in knowledge of you.  Bless those who work with our children and youth and bless all families during this school year.  AMEN

The Grange Fair - It's all about the family, friends and food

In Centre County, no series about vacations would be complete without talking about the Grange Fair.  For those that might be new to our area, the Grange Fair is the oldest and largest encampment in the country dating back to 1874 when Leonard Rhone urged his grange to meet with other granges in the area for a picnic.  Now, for those that don’t know, the Grange is a national organization dating back to 1867 and while it has its roots in the agricultural community, the grange really exists to help people from all walks of life improve in all areas of life and to specifically grow in citizenship and leadership.  So what began as a picnic to encourage people to join the grange has become a tradition for families, business and the entire community.  With 1,000 tents and 1,500 RV’s on the grounds, the Grange Fair is where many people go on vacation each summer and with hundreds of concessions stands, thousands of exhibits and nightly entertainment - many from our community find their way there for some rest and relaxation.

As you know, I am probably the only person who can drive through Centre Hall and not find the Grange Fair.  It is true, the first time I decided I needed to go and check this thing out I drove straight through Centre Hall thinking that it was out in all the farm land beyond town.  So once I got out to Potters Mills and didn’t see anything I turned around and then coming back through Centre Hall I finally started to figure out that the bumper to bumper traffic I was sitting in was all headed to the fair and when I saw people all trying to turn down side streets, I finally figured out where the Fair was.  Now before you judge me, when I went looking for the fair 8-9 years ago they did not have the nice signs you see today.  In fact there were no signs except little handmade signs that said parking.

Through the years I have asked a lot of people why the like going to the Grange Fair and in my unofficial research on the Grange Fair, people go for three main reasons – family, friends and food.  In many ways, the foundation of the fair is family, friends and food.  It started as a picnic by the families of the grange to invite their friends to come together.  In many ways not much has changed in 143 years.  People still attend the Grange Fair to be with family.  Families have been going for 50-60 years.  People still go to see their friends and yes, people go for some very specific fair food.  These are also the things that make vacations so memorable, time with family and friends and sharing in some good food.

But family, friends and food is not just the foundation of the fair and what we look forward to on vacation, it is the foundation of our life and these are the things God uses to develop our faith.  God uses the family structure, our circle of friends and times spent eating together to sustain our lives and grow our faith.

The family is important to God.  We are born into families and all through the Bible God talks about the importance of nurturing family relationships.  In the Old Testament we are told to honor our fathers and mothers which is not just a call to respect our parents when we are children and teens but a call to care for our older parents when we are adults.  In the New Testament we are given instructions on how to keep families strong and healthy.
Ephesians 5:21-6:4.

Please don’t disregard this passage just because it says that wives should submit to their husbands.  While some have used this passage to devalue the role of women in the family and in society, Paul began this section by saying we should submit to one another so this is in no way a one sided submission of women to men.  Let’s be clear that there is no place for abuse or oppression in any of our relationships with one another based of gender or race I might add.

When I have been asked to read this at weddings, and yes I am asked at times to share this, I make clear to the congregation and to the groom that the real burden is on the husband who has been called to love his wife as Christ has loved the church.  The love of Jesus was one that was willing to sacrifice everything for us.  So while submission might come across as a difficult call, so is surrender and sacrifice – so it is a mutual humility, submission, surrender and sacrifice that God is calling for.

And while children are to obey their parents that is not a call to obey in the face of abuse or oppression because it also says parents are not to exasperate their children but love and care for them.  So the family is important to God.  The health and structure of the family is important to God which is why he gives us instructions on how to navigate family relationships.  Mutual love, honor and respect are the foundations on which to build.  Family is important because our character and faith is formed first in the family.  Studies show that so much of who we are is formed by the time we are three years old which shows that God’s plan for our development and formation is through the family so strong and faithful families are needed, but creating this families takes effort and time.

Nurturing children and loving parents and caring for one another takes time and cannot take place exclusively through text messaging and social media, actual time together is important.  Time away as a family is important and vacations are important but even more important is how to make sure we are taking this intentional time between vacations.  Do we set aside time to be with family every day and every week.  Are we taking the time to talk and share together?   Are we worshipping together, praying together and playing together?   Family is important and we need to commit ourselves to developing these strong relationships.

Family is important but so are friends and we see this clearly in the life of Jesus.  We know that Jesus was close with Mary, Martha and Lazarus and he often stayed at their home when he was in and around Jerusalem.  Jesus wept when he heard the news that Lazarus had died.  The friendship Jesus had with the disciples was important.  Peter, James and John were especially close to Jesus and when Jesus needed love and support he invited those friends to stay with him.  Mark 14:32-33.

We need to take the time to deepen and develop our relationships with another.  God calls us to love one another and to encourage one another and to bear with one another.  In fact, there are dozens of what we call “one another” passages in the bible and we have included some of them in the next steps so you can read them this week.  These are passages we can use to strengthen our friendships so they can become a source of hope and help and healing in our lives.

So the last thing that is often important about vacations and one of the main reasons I have heard that people like going to the grange fair is because of the food.  I love to go south on vacation because I love southern food.  I love grits, biscuits and gravy, pulled pork barbeque and hushpuppies.  So food becomes a focus of our time away and a highlight of our vacations but food really has an important place in our lives beyond giving us fuel for our bodies.  Actually, it’s not the food that is important to our life and faith as much as the time spent eating together and it has always been that way.  In the Old Testament God called for several feasts and festivals to be held every year and these were times when people travelled to Jerusalem to honor and worship God but they were also times for the family and the community to celebrate with food.

God called people celebrate in the spring at the first harvest and then again at the final harvest, but the best example of God calling people to honor him with a meal was the Passover.  This was the time when families would gather to remember what God had done in leading the people of Israel out of slavery but it was done in people’s homes around a table of food.  All the food at the Passover has meaning and significance – much like how our own family’s favorite recipes have meaning and significance for us.  When we gather at Thanksgiving or Christmas our favorite foods tell our families history and traditions.  While the food is important, again it really is the time together that strengthens our lives and while we often are able to eat together on vacation what we really need is to eat together as families through the entire year.

Research suggests that having dinner together as a family at least four times a week has positive effects on children’s health.  Family dinners have been linked to a lower risk of
• Obesity
• Substance abuse
• Eating disorders

Family dinners also increase the intake of fruits and vegetables; which means that families who eat dinner together tend to
• Eat fewer fried foods
• Drink less soda
• Consume more protein, calcium, and vitamins
In other words families who eat together are physically healthier.

There are more benefits to family dinners, like
• increased language skills,
• wider vocabulary,
• better grades
• higher graduation rates.
As we get ready to enter into the school year and schedules get set and then quickly overloaded, it will take real planning and discipline to set aside time for family dinners and then keep them.  If you are going establish a tradition of family dinners, here are some things to remember.
• Turn off the TV
• Make the dinner table a cell phone free zone.
• Enjoy positive conversation
• Talk about each person’s day
• Discuss appropriate current events
• Pray before the meal
• Spend an hour eating, conversing and cleaning up.

Think about all the meals we read about Jesus having with people.  There were meals where Jesus provided the bread and fish.  There was a meal with Jesus’ friends Mary and Martha, a Passover meal Jesus shared with his disciples and a meal Jesus served after his resurrection where he offered Peter forgiveness.  All this eating together was significant in the lives of these people.  These were often moments where Jesus taught the people, revealed his power and shared his grace and love.  These then became important times in the development of people’s faith.  God wants us to eat together and we can’t just make this an event for vacations.  Eating together needs to be an ongoing part of our lives.

So people go to the Grange Fair for family, friends and food and these are often the things we look forward to on vacation, but these are the things that need to be part of the foundation of our lives every week.  Time with family and friends and eating together with family and friends improves our lives, strengthens marriages and families and become important opportunities for our faith can grow.  These are the valuable times of life that should not be missed.  Make family, friends and eating together the priorities in your life and God will honor and bless you and your families and our faith will grow.

 
Next Steps
The Grange Fair – Family, Friends and Food

Fair
If you have never been to the Grange Fair, consider going to experience this unique Centre County tradition.  (Just don’t ask Pastor Andy for directions!)

Family
1.  How much time do you spend together as a family?  What things do you tend to do together?
2.  Add quality family time into your schedule this week.
3.  This fall, set aside time for your family to worship, pray, play, study, and serve together.

Friends
1.  Identify the friends who are part of your life.  What person is God asking you to have as a friend in your life?
2.  Read and reflect on these “one another” passages;
• John 13:14, Romans 12:10, 15:7, 14, Galatians 5:13, 6:2
• Ephesians 4:2, 32, 5:21, Philippians 2:3, Colossians 3:13
• 1 Thessalonians 5:11  James 5:16,  1 Peter 3:8

Food
1.  How often do you eat together as a family?
2.  Add one more family meal into your schedule this week?
3.  This fall, set aside 4 family meals each week.  When you do, commit to these things:
• Turn off the TV
• Make the table a cellphone free zone
• Make all conversation positive
• Discuss appropriate current events
• Share aspects of your faith
• Give everyone a chance to talk and listen
• Pray before the meal
• Spend an hour together eating, sharing and cleaning up

Going on vacation with a GPS is great because it helps us know where we are and how to get to our destination.  If we take a wrong turn the GPS will help us get back on the right path with the helpful but dreaded word… recalculating.  Have you ever taken a vacation where everything needed to be recalculated?  Maybe you were all set for the 2 day car trip but one of the kids wakes up with intestinal issues your brain suddenly starts recalculating.  Or you had a week planned at the beach but when a hurricane makes land fall the day before you were planning to arrive you start recalculating.  Did you hear recently about the islands of Hatteras and Ocracoke at the Outer Banks of NC?  When a major power line was cut they had to evacuate the islands.   Those vacationers started doing some quick recalculating.  Whether it is illness, storms or unexpected events we are often left trying to recalculate our vacations.

About 15 years after I worked in Yellowstone NP I planned a vacation to the park with a friend.  We were going to camp and hike at all my favorite locations.  Due to our work schedules, the only 2 weeks we could get off together were in the beginning of May, so we made our reservations and I made some contacts with the people in Yellowstone who support A Christian Ministry in the National Parks so we could borrow all kinds of camping gear and not have to bring everything with us on the plane.

As we flew into Jackson Hole Wyoming I turned to my friend and said, look out the window.  He said, I know it’s beautiful.  I said, no… look out the window.  He said again, right – it’s beautiful and said, everything is covered in snow!  He said, so what.  I said, we are planning on camping for 2 weeks but we aren’t prepared for 2 weeks of camping in the snow!  My brain was suddenly doing some major recalculating.  Little did I know this was just the beginning.

When we called to make plans to pick up all our camping gear the woman asked me what travel agent booked us in Yellowstone the first two weeks of May.  I said, there was no travel agent, these were the only two weeks we could come so we just made the plans ourselves.  She said, well you are two of the luckiest people I know because normally the road into the park from Jackson Hole isn’t even open yet, but due to a warm spring, the road opened… yesterday.

While this was actually a very cool thing because we were some of the first people to travel the roads and we could see where they cut through the snow

but it also meant some major recalculating because many of the roads we planned to take were not yet open.  And when we got to the visitor center and asked about all the trails we wanted to hike they said, those aren’t open because it is bear season.  All the bears were waking up and the NPS gives them large areas with no hikers so they can eat all the animals that had died during the winter.  Once again we had to do some major recalculating.

So there were 2 campgrounds open and after staying a few nights at one and being so cold we actually had to sleep in the car we once again recalculated and started finding motels where we could stay.  So basically nothing seemed to go the way we planned.  From closed roads and trails to cold weather and lots of snow – all our plans changed.  We still had a good time – but we had to do some significant recalculating.

Whether it is vacations or life, there are times when all our plans have to change and we are left doing some major recalculating and these can become the opportunities for us to learn, grow closer to God and even discover God’s will if we will have faith, courage and humility.

The Apostle Paul did a lot of travelling.  He took several different missionary journeys and he often set out with a clear plan and agenda, but there was part of one journey where he had to do some major recalculating.  Acts 16:6-11

Paul’s plan was to return to the churches he had visited on his first journey to encourage his leaders and the head east into Asia, but somehow he was prevented from doing this.  We don’t know how the Holy Spirit kept Paul out, but Paul was not able to follow his plans.  When he came to the border of Mysia he again tried to head east but the Holy Spirit once more kept him out.  It would be interesting to know what the road blocks were for Paul, but whatever they were, Paul clearly saw them as God recalculating his route.

Then there was a vision of a man in Macedonia calling Paul to come and help.  Paul now hears the voice on the GPS (God’s Powerful Spirit) telling him the new direction of his route.  Paul now heads west to Macedonia and the rest of Paul’s life is mapped out for him.  Paul never again tries to head east – he continues to go further and further west – all the way to Rome.

Clearly this was an unexpected change for Paul.  His plan had been to go east but God recalculates not once but several times and sends him west.  What helped Paul accept these changes and start moving in God’s direction was his faith, courage and humility.  These are the things we need when God starts recalculating our lives.  First let’s look at the role of faith.

Clearly Paul had faith that God was leading him on this journey and that the big picture of his life was in God’s hands.  Later on, Paul wrote about this kind of faith and trust in God when he said, we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  (Romans 8:28)  Paul does not say that all things are good but that through all things God can work for God.  When unexpected and even tragic things happen in life, God has the ability to use those things to bring about something good.  The cross of Jesus was not something good that happened to Jesus, but God used that crucifixion to bring about something good – namely our salvation.

We all go through difficult and trying times.  Accidents, a diagnosis of cancer, loss of a job or failures in relationship or business are tragic and difficult things to get through, but if we have faith that God is with us and if we are willing to trust God when those unexpected moments come along in life and we are left recalculating, we can have confidence that God will bring about something good and lead us into the future and purpose He has for us.  Please understand that this does not mean that all things are good.  They aren’t.  Tragic and evil events take place in our world but God can redeem them if will have faith and trust him.

At the leadership summit this year we heard the powerful story of a woman who survived 91 days in a 3x4 foot bathroom with 7 other women during the genocide that took place in Rwanda.

Immaculee Ilibagiza

Everyone in Immaculee’s family was killed because they were part of the Tutsi tribe, close to a million people were killed simply because of the tribe they belonged to.  There is nothing good in this, but because of her faith and trust in God, Immaculee is able to talk about the power of forgiveness and bring the good news of the gospel to people around the world.  God redeems the evil of the world and can use it for good but only if we will have faith in Him and trust him.  So not all things are good but God can recalculate our lives and bring something good to us if we will trust him.  It is our faith that God can do this that helps us take that first step forward in a new direction when we are left recalculating our lives.  

Courage is also needed when the unexpected and unexplained events of life send us in new and different directions.  Will we have the courage to keep going?  Paul had to have the courage to go in a new direction.  This was not part of his plan and itinerary but He had the courage to go and see what was going to happen.  Will we have the courage to step onto a new path or maybe back onto the right path?

Another person who had courage when God recalculated his life and trip was Jonah.  Jonah was on a vacation from God – literally.  He was running away from the plan God had for him and so set off on a ship headed away from Ninevah which was where God wanted him to go.  During his “cruise”, a fierce storm sprang up and when the crew realized Jonah was running away from God they threw him into the water.  God does some major recalculating here and sends a big fish to swallow Jonah and deposit him on dry ground.  If you don’t think God is at work in this recalculation, when Johan was deposited on dry ground he was closer to Ninevah than when he started.  God was literally moving Jonah in the right direction.  God was working for good in this situations.

Once God started recalculating Jonah’s life, Jonah had to have the courage to keep going.  Jonah 3:1-4.  Jonah now had the courage to go and do what God asked him to do.  It was not easy to preach God’s message to the wicked people of Ninevah, but Jonah had the courage to step out in faith and go.  When the unexpected change comes along, we have to have faith and trust that God will use it for good but then we have to have the courage to go in this new direction.  Even if we aren’t sure it is the right direction we need to keep going and trust that God will recalculate our journey if and when it is needed.

So faith and courage are needed during times of recalculating but so is humility.  Paul had to be humble enough to say that the direction he wanted to go was not the direction God wanted him to go and he had to be willing to make the change.  Jonah had to have the humility to realize he was going in the wrong direction and start going to Ninevah.  If in our stubborn pride we refuse to change course – even after God has worked to recalculate our lives, we will miss all that God has for us and the amazing things God wants to do in our lives.  Imagine if Paul continued to push his way to the East – perhaps the Roman world would not have embraced Christianity?  If Jonah kept running away, God would either have destroyed the people of Ninevah or found someone else to help save the people.  Can we admit when we make a mistake or at least be humble enough to open ourselves up to God’s will for our lives?

When I first started seminary I was pretty adamant that I was not going to be a pastor.  I had told myself for years that I was not going to do that and that God didn’t want me to do that.  I thought about being a chaplain or maybe working in missions but I was not going to work in the local church.  But then I took a position as an associate pastor in a local church as part of my field education at Duke and everything started to recalculate.

About half way through my year at Mt. Hermon UMC God began to change my head and heart.  I realized that I actually enjoyed being a pastor and working with people in all kinds of situations in life and in the life of the church.  I realized that the local church was the front lines of mission and that in many ways there was no more exciting place to be and I realized that even preaching was something that I could give myself to.  I remember preaching my first sermon in that church and in the message, I was inviting people to give their lives to Jesus.  In a kind of surreal moment I remember thinking – actually hearing a voice in my head saying, Andy who are you to tell these people they need to give themselves to Jesus, and as that statement was being said, my heart replied, but there is no message I believe more powerfully and there is no other message to preach.

In that moment God was recalculating my head and heart so that I could start on a new path to become a local pastor.  And, by the way, I still believe that the local church is the front lines of mission and that the local church is the best hope for changing our world because God is at work in recalculating all our of our hearts and lives so that we will be and do all he wants and when that happens, the world changes.  And I still believe that there is no message more powerful than that we need to give our lives to Jesus because that is how God starts recalculating our lives and I still believe that the best life available to us and the most powerful and purposeful and peaceful life we can live is one where we have faith in God and trust in Jesus as our savior and lord.  If that is the change needed in you today then please allow God to recalculate your heart and life.

So I humbled myself before God and started on a new road.  I ate crow with all my friends who reminded me that I told God I would never be a local pastor.  Humility is needed if we are going to experience the fullness God has for us.  We can’t hold on to foolish pride and miss the new direction God has for us.  Paul humbled himself and stopped trying to travel east and committed himself to going west and he made it to Rome where his message of Jesus began to make an impact throughout the entire Roman Empire and through that the entire world.

So faith, courage and humility are needed in those moments when God begins recalculating our lives.  If we can embrace God’s new plans and move in God’s new direction then we will experience the new life and the blessings of life that God has for us and not only will our world never the same, but the world in which we live will never be the same.  In little ways or maybe in big ways God is always at work recalculating our lives.  With faith, courage and humility, let us allow God to make those changes and let us go forth in those new directions.

Next Steps
Vacation – Recalculating

1.  At times God recalculates our lives because we have wandered away and at times because we have willfully walked away.  Which is most often the case for you?

2.  Can you identify a time when an unexpected event recalculated your heart and life and brought you back to God?

3.  Read Romans 8:28.
How can your faith and trust in God help you see God working for good in all things?  (Please note that this passage does NOT say that all things are good)
• When have you seen difficult, even tragic, circumstances used by God to bring about something good in your life or the life of someone you know?  
• Who do you know right now that is going through something difficult?  Pray that in time God would bring something good out of this situation.

4.  Read Jonah 3:1-4
What kind of courage did Jonah need to help him on his journey and accomplish God’s plan for his life?
• What helped Jonah have courage now when he didn’t have it before?
• What situation are you facing today that needs this kind of courage?

5.  Read Acts 16:1-10
How did Paul show his humility in this situation?
• Where is God asking you to be humble?
• How is humility needed for you to start moving in a new direction?

Vacation - Rest Stops Are Important

The summer I worked in Yellowstone National Park was when I first started to do a lot of hiking.  My friends who go hiking with me will tell you is that I am a destination hiker.  I like to hike to places where there is something to see or do, like waterfalls or the top of mountains, and when I start hiking I just push until we get there.  While I am a destination hiker, many of my friends are not.  They love to hike for the simple joy of hiking.  They like to look at the plants and flowers and rocks and trees all along the way. They take the time to look at everything around them because they love the trail and the journey – I like the destination.

This leads me to believe that there are fundamentally two kinds of people in the world.  People who are fixed on the destination and people who love the journey.  There is the person who sets out on a vacation with their family and pushes to drive 600 miles in a day so they can get to where they are going and then there is the one who suggests stopping at every tourist attraction along the way.  On family vacations are you the destination person pushing to get to the end or are you the one who wants to stop because every rest area or road side attraction looks so inviting?  For a good vacation, we actually need both types of people.  Those who want to stop at every attraction and rest area need the destination person to help them get to where they are going but the person who loves the journey can help people like me slow down.

On the trail, many of my friends have helped me slow down which means that I have been able to see more wildlife and wildflowers than I would have otherwise.  I have learned to appreciate the journey and not just focus on the destination.  This is not just a good lesson for vacations, it is a good lesson for life.  As important as it is to have clear goals that move us forward and as important as it is to have a clear vision of where we are going in life, we must also pay attention to all God has for us along the way.  If we are only focused on the destination, we may miss the lessons or the blessings or the opportunities God has for us.  Rest stops are important because it is often those times that we are able to really listen, learn and love.

In the Old Testament, the ultimate journey we read about is the one Israel made out of Egypt.  After living as slaves in Egypt for generations, God sent Moses to lead the people out of slavery and into the Promised Land.  In many ways the people were focused on their destination because they were told it was a good land that flowed with milk and honey so they were anxious to get there, but there were some important rest stops they needed to make along the way and one of those was at Mt. Sinai.

Not long after the people of God had crossed the Red Sea and escaped from the army of Pharaoh, they arrived at Mt. Sinai.  Exodus 19:1-9.  God had planned this stop so he could give his people instructions on what it meant to actually be His people.  Israel had lived in a foreign land and been away from God for generations and they didn’t know how to order their lives around God’s will and purpose so this rest stop was an opportunity for them to learn more about God so they could follow God’s ways.

God said he would bless and care for his people if they followed him but they didn’t know what it meant to follow God so while they were stopped at Mt. Sinai, God gave the 10 Commandments.  It was these commandments that helped the people understand what it meant to truly love God and what it was going to look like to love others which is how God called them to live.  Love for God meant worshipping only God and honoring God’s name and loving others was going to mean the people would honor marriage and family and respect others in the community by not stealing, lying or murdering others.  This rest stop was an opportunity for the people of God to learn more so they could live more fully and faithfully.

Rest stops in life are important.  They aren’t vacations and time away but opportunities God gives us to stop so we can learn more in order to live more fully and faithfully.  Sometimes these rest stops are focused times of learning like when we go back to school or get retrained for a new job.  For a destination person like me, taking three years to go to seminary was not easy, but it was what I needed to learn what God wanted from me.
Rest stops might be seasons of learning, but they also might be just slowing down where we are to make opportunities for growth.  A rest stop might be adding a small group or bible study into our schedules.  It might be taking a day off this week to attend the Leadership Summit or even just stopping in one afternoon to see what it is all about.  Rest stops are important opportunities for us to learn – but only if will take them.  As you plan the rest of this summer and look to the fall I encourage you to consider a rest stop to learn and grow in faith and in life.

Jesus also took some rest stops on his final journey to Jerusalem.  About half way through the gospels we begin to hear about Jesus making his way to Jerusalem.  Jesus was going there on a mission – which was to give his life on the cross and his determination was clear but as important as this destination was for Jesus, he also understood the importance of rest stops along the way.  For Jesus, these weren’t opportunities to learn but to listen and love.

In Luke 17:11 it says, Now on his way to Jerusalem… so Jesus has set his eyes and mind on his destination but almost immediately Jesus is stopped.  10 lepers cried out to Jesus for help.  Luke 17:12-13.  Jesus is faced with a decision.  Does he keep going toward his destination or does he stop?  Jesus understands that rest stops are important so he stops and listens and when they asked Jesus to heal them from their disease, he does.  Jesus stopped and listened to needs of the people and he helped.  I am convinced that God has many opportunities for us to help those in need if we would just take the time to stop and listen.  

Jesus continued on his way to Jerusalem when people started bringing their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them to bless them.  Once again, Jesus had a choice to make.  Does he keep going to his destination or does he stop?  Luke 18:16.  This rest stop was important to Jesus because it gave him an opportunity to show people the unconditional love of God.  God has all kinds of people for us to love if we would stop long enough to notice their presence in our lives.
Jesus then continues on his way – Luke 18:35-43.  Jesus again could have kept going to his destination without stopping.  He could have kept his eyes fixed on what was important to him but he didn’t, Jesus stopped and again was willing to listen to the cry of the people around him.  It is often only when we stop that we are able to hear the cries of those in need around us and it is only when we stop that we can offer any kind of help.  

Have you ever been so focused on a destination that you have failed to respond to those in need around you?  It happens to all of us.  While a student at MSU, a couple of friends and I were in downtown Lansing one Saturday afternoon and we were on our way to get some lunch when we passed an alley and saw a man picking through the dumpster.  One friend and I just kept going on our way.  We saw the situation but were focused on the destination –lunch, but our other friend stopped.  She stopped and said, did you see him?  We need to do something.  We need to help him.

We pooled all our money and decided we could take him out to lunch so we went back, asked the man if we could buy him lunch and then took him to the only restaurant around for blocks – which just happened to be a pretty upscale place.  So here were three college students having lunch with a homeless man we invited from the dumpster.  I’m sure we made quite a site, but we were served graciously and we were able to bless that man with both food and compassion, but honestly, we got more out of it than he did.  We were blessed and I learned once again that rest stops are important.

Jesus continued on his way to Jerusalem but there would be one more stop he could make.  This time no one yelled for Jesus to stop and no one brought children to him, this time Jesus saw the man who needed the love of God and so he stopped.  Luke 19:1-6.

This time Jesus chose to stop because he saw a man who needed love.  Jesus chose to stop because he wanted to lift up a man who had made some poor choices in his life and needed to be saved.  He wanted to bring someone hope and peace and new life.  Jesus stopped on his way to Jerusalem and went to Zacchaeus’ home and ate with him and his friends which helped Zacchaeus feel valued and loved and it was this gift of grace and love that changed Zacchaeus’ life so that he chose to no longer cheat people but bless them.  This final rest stop on Jesus’ way to Jerusalem not only blessed Zacchaeus but through Zacchaeus God was able to bless many others.

So twice Jesus stopped to listen and help those in need and twice he stopped to offer love and grace and each time Jesus stops he teaches us that rest stops are important.  Rest stops are those opportunities God gives us to not only learn but to listen and to love and when we are willing to stop and help in any way, we will be blessed and God can use us to be a blessing.  The key is to be willing to stop.  We can’t be in such a hurry to get to our destination that we fail to take the time to stop.  We need to take the time to stop and learn.  We need to stop long enough to listen to family and friend and the cries of those in need around us and we need to stop long enough to reach out in love.  Each time we stop we will be blessed and we will be a blessing.  

So let me close with a blessing I received when I literally stopped a rest stop along I-81 in Bristol VA.  For several years my family would take our winter vacation and visit my grandparents in TN.  We would drive from CT and on our way home we always stopped at the rest area just inside the VA state line – Bristol VA.  My senior year, the last trip I took along this road with my family, we stopped at this rest area and I had a habit of taking off my class ring when I would wash my hands and I left it on the sink.  I didn’t realize this until we were almost home so there was no turning back to get it.  My mom had me write and a letter and send it to the rest area.  I figured, what could it hurt, so I did and several weeks later I got a little package in the mail with my class ring.

Now fast forward about 20 years and I am a pastor in PA I often took my vacation to the smoky mountains and drove down I -81.  The first time I was able to stop at the rest area in Bristol VA I did and it was the first time I had been there since my senior year in High School.  There was a big visitor’s center and help desk so I stopped and told my class ring story to the woman at the desk and told I just wanted to say thank you for an act of kindness many years earlier.  

The woman kind of laughed and said, you’re welcome and then she said, you know… I was the person who mailed that back to you.  I couldn’t believe it, but she said, I remember getting the letter because while we always found lost items we never got letters like yours and I remember packing the ring off and sending it to CT.  I couldn’t believe that I was actually thanking the very person who had been kind enough to send me my ring.  We talked for a little bit, amazed at how it all worked out and then the woman said, if you had come through here one week later, I wouldn’t be here because I am retiring.  This is my last week of work.  Again – I was stunned.  God’s timing was perfect.

So I mean it when I say that rest stops are important.  They are opportunities for us to learn, they are opportunities for us to listen and maybe help someone in need and they are opportunities for us to love and they are opportunities for us to be blessed.  While the destination is important and clear goals and a compelling vision need to keep us always moving forward, let us always be open to God calling us to rest stops along the way – they are important.


 
Next Steps
Rest Stops are Important

Beyond needed bathroom breaks, rest stops are important because they provide needed opportunities to learn, listen and love.

1.  Are you a destination traveler or do you love to stop all along the journey?

2.  Read Exodus 19.  This rest stop for Israel was an important time for the people to learn more about who God was and how God wanted them to live.  Take time this week to review the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20.  Which of these commandments needs to be the focus of your life today?

3.  If we will stop, there are many places we can turn to learn more of who God is and how God wants us to live.  Take time to learn in Sunday School, Bible Studies or the Global Leadership Summit this Thursday or Friday.  Consider joining a small group this fall.

4.  On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus stopped several times to listen and love.  Read Luke 17-19.  Take note of all the times Jesus stopped along the way.

5.  Ask God to help you listen to those who are crying out in need around you.  Listen to your family, community and world.  How might God want you to respond to those in need?

6.  Jesus stopped to love children and sinners.  Who is currently in your life that God is asking you to stop and love?  What does loving that person look like?  How can you extend God’s love through service at our Blessing of the Backpacks?