WHAT’S GOING ON?

Last Sunday our announcement maker and started off by saying “If the Church wasn’t doing anything then we wouldn't need announcements, but we are active! So you need to know what’s going on”. It got me thinking, The Church Bulletin and the Monthly Calendar/Worship Assignments are very vital tools in communicating what’s going on in the Church. In the Bulletin there is information that we need to know about such as announcements, youth activities, prayer lists, events happening in the weeks to come. Attendance and Contribution numbers, contact information of our Church leaders, and who is serving in the worship services on that Sunday are vital information we need to know. The Montly Calendar/Worship Assignments is also very important. A lot of work is put in making sure the Church members know when it is his or her turn to serve.

How many of us know who we will play at the next football game? Or, when the next parent teacher conference is or what time does Duck Dynasty come on, and when?

Do you know the next time you are to help serve communion on Sunday morning or lead the closing prayer on Sunday evening? When is the next time you are to serve in the nursery?

Do we read the Church Bulletin? When it comes in the mail, does it go straight in the trash can? When it pops up in your Email box, do you press delete? What’s more useless than an unread bulletin? An uninformed Church!

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel Philippians 1:27 (NIV)

Take the time to read the Bulletin and look over the Calendar/Worship Assignments. Someone in your congregation did their best to publish a helpful, Monthly Calendar and Bulletin for the church, so that the phrase “I didn't know” doesn't come up. Ok I’ll get off my soapbox now.

Grace and Peace

Blan

P.S. Did you see the missed spelled word?

Be Ready!

Have you ever wished you could fix a problem for someone, but you couldn’t?  Michelle had two different problems in the last two weeks with her vehicle while in Bryan.  She called me both times, and of course I was ready to go and help. The first time, as I was getting ready to leave Franklin, she called to say that some members of this church family were there in town and were already coming to help her out. I can’t tell you how proud and thankful I was for them. The second time I got the call and I went but was unable to fix the problem.  That would have to be done by a mechanic, who had Michelle’s suburban running by noon the next day.  Once again another person was able to help my wife in a way that I couldn’t. But I was ready! 

Former NFL Football player and Coach Herm Edwards said “The problem with some football players isn’t that they’re not coachable; the problem is when their number is called they are not ready to play. The guy in front of them gets hurt or cut, and now it there turn to take the lead. When I played the game and my number was called I was ready and I made sure that I never missed a practice or a team meeting so I could keep my spot. And that’s what I tell players today. Be Ready!”

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17  May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.   Do everything in love.

We may never know when that opportunity may come to serve or help, but as long as we are ready to respond, a pattern is established.  That gives people comfort in knowing that next time someone has a problem they will know who is ready.

Grace and Peace

Blan

The Problem With Planning

Back in the 80’s there was a popular show on TV called the A-Team.  These four x military turned mercenaries would be hired by someone who was in trouble or need to be rescued. After they couldn’t get any help from the police, these guys would come in to save the day. The leader of the group, named Hannibal Smith always said in the show “I love it when a plan comes together”.   Anyone who watched this show would soon pick up on the fact that the first plan always didn’t work.  Somehow the heroes would get captured and they would need to come up with another idea to escape and defeat the bad guys.   I don’t know about you but I always seem to get caught in the same predicament. We have so many ideas, plans, dreams that when first thought up look really good and the potential for success inevitable, only to have to start all over with a new strategy.

 Before I became a minister, I wanted to be a firefighter. And I did what was right.  I included the LORD in my plan. I prayed, I had long conversation with Michelle. I researched, so I would know what I would have to do to accomplish the goal. And for a while I felt like this was what the LORD had planned for me. I was the oldest student in class and passed the physical exam, I was quick at learning the physical side of fire fighting, faster than many of the younger men.  I was making quite the impression on the younger cadet and the instructors; they started calling me Pop’s.   It was half way through the academy when it all caught up with me though. Now I never was a good test taker and as my test scores started to slip I became discouraged.  I was working a full time job and serving as a deacon at the church and I was a Husband and a Dad.  My instructor told me “Chrane, you gotta dedicate more time to your studies” and my thought was “I don’t have any more time!” I needed to give time to my wife and my children, I needed to be give time at my job so I could support my family, and I more importantly I needed to give time to my church (didn’t matter if I was a deacon or not).  So the next day I went to turn in my gear and told the instructor just that.  He smiled and said he hated to see me leave but respected and understood. Then he said “I wish more of these young men and had your heart and dedication to what was important.  You have the heart of a firefighter.”   At that time, I admit, that was hard to hear. I thought I had the heart of a looser and quitter.   

I soon realized where I made the mistake. I tried to include the LORD into my plan instead of including myself into the LORD’S.

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you," declares the LORD,…” Jeremiah 29:11-14  

Weeks later Michelle and I were in town and we pulled over to let a fire truck pass. Michelle asked me “Do you regret leaving the Academy? Do you miss it?”  I smiled and said “Nope”.   I knew that GOD had something better planned for us. Months later I started working in full time ministry as a youth minister which now, has brought us here to Franklin.   Yes it’s good to have plans and dreams and goals.  But it’s even better to be on the same plan that GOD has for us.

Grace & Peace

Blan

Acceptance

For a long time my Dad raised Angora goats for their hair. Back in the 1980’s mohair was big business and we would have hundreds of goats on the ranch.  Twice a year the shearers would come and shear our angora goats and what sheep we had.  From time to time we would sell some to other mohair growers so we would round up a herd and pen them so that the buyer could look them over and pick the one he wanted. Keeping track of them took some time. Dad kept a book in his front shirt pocket to keep track of how many he had in one place or the other. So we would go every other day to feed goats but also to count them, to see if any of them had died or were killed by predators.

One summer we rounded up an entire herd for a sale, all of them where going to be sold. After we pinned them we started counting…97, 98, 99. There was supposed to be 100 so Dad made us count again…97, 98, 99. Still not satisfied he counted.. 97,98,99.  “Well I guess we lost one” We offered to go back and look to see if we could find the missing one, but the buyer was coming and it would take all of us to get the herd loaded.

 A couple of days after that Dad turned out some cattle into the place where goats had been. And just like with the goats, we had to check on them from time, but not as often, more like twice a week. So we went out to check cows one day and guess what came up with the cows when we called them? The missing goat! The one we thought was dead took to traveling with the cattle. Normally different kinds of livestock won’t associate with each other. They can coexist in the same place but only sheep and goats will intermingle with each other. However this one goat joined up with the cattle and the cattle let him be a part of the herd. Soon after that we noticed that he was emulating the characteristics of the cattle around him. When the cows bellowed the goat would bleat. When they moved with the weather it moved, He would eat the feed we fed the cattle. When we called cattle up (We call cattle differently than we do goats) and he would be the first to show up.

Romans 15:5-7 says “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

For whatever reason, this goat wasn't with the others when they were rounded up. Then he was alone. Soon after, he attempted to join a cattle herd and he was accepted. The goat, then, thought he was a cow.  There are many people in the world today who want acceptance. May the Lord bless us with a unified and accepting spirit. So that others will want to join and develop the same desire to follow and praise God.

Grace  & Peace

Blan

Gates

Have you ever wondered how the months got their names? The month of January is named after Janus; Roman God of gates and doorways.  Janus was always portrayed as having two faces, one looking forward, one backward. Traditionally, we spend our time in thinking about what we will do differently this year than what we did last year. Maybe instead of thinking about what we should DO differently maybe we should concentrate on what we could BE differently this year.   I suggest we become gates. Think about what does a gate do? More than just open and close. Jesus said in John 10:9 “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.”  
Growing up on a ranch one of the many lessons taught is when you are moving livestock to a new place whether it’s a pen or pasture was that the gate that the animal went through must be open inward so that there is plenty of space for them to go through.   On the reverse side when letting animals out the gates must swing outward for the same reason.  If  we wanted to pen the livestock at night, we would also leave the gates open and feed the livestock in the pen so they would get in the habit of returning to the pen at night.   As the church (the body of Christ) our gates must always swing inward and outward so that those seeking to know Christ will be able to come without any hesitation or struggle or fear. Once someone has come to know Christ they have that freedom. To be able “to come in and go out” is describing a life that is absolutely secure and safe in Christ.  In this day and age we all want to feel secure and safe. Not just with locks, but with technology, we have the ability to secure our homes our vehicles, even our social security numbers (does anyone besides me see the irony in that?) With salvation in Jesus we can have confidence that whatever is set before us, no matter what God calls on us to accomplish, our safety does not depend on ourselves, our safety depends on a strong dependable gate, Jesus Christ.  It’s permanent! It’s solid. It is welcoming for those coming in and encouraging for those going out that they can always return. This year, let’s be gates!
Grace & Peace
Blan Chrane