Reflections of a Retired Pastor

Have you ever seen an angel? Some have shared stories of glowing winged images appearing to them delivering a message. I am not arguing the validity of these experiences, I just haven’t personally seen that kind of image. But I do believe I have seen an angel. Probably 45 years ago (I can’t remember exactly) Pam and I had the opportunity to attend a Billy Graham School of Evangelism in Toronto, Ontario through a generous scholarship granted to a young pastor of a very small church. We had hotel accommodations and daily training sessions (with Billy Graham personally leading one of the sessions.) In the evenings, we attended crusade services, first at Mapleleaf Gardens then at the Toronto Blue Jays ballpark. It was a once in a lifetime experience for a young pastoral couple still wet behind their ears. Imagine two small town bumpkins who outside of a quick drive through Manhattan and a side trip to the Statue of Liberty on their honeymoon, lived in towns with populations under 5,000 and...

  Have you ever gotten to the point where all you can do is cry, “Help!”? Sometimes it’s all we can do. Sometimes we need to focus on something that we can hold onto for emotional stability. I am among those who are face to face with a terminal diagnosis, and it’s easy to let feelings of hopelessness creep in. It seems as though wherever we turn we hear of someone else getting that diagnosis that is a kick in the gut and we tend to concentrate on the time that we have left in our lifespan. One of the horse owners at the Kentucky Derby this year said, “Doctors can’t count!” This is something to keep in mind. Only God knows the number of our days. Focus on this scripture from the Psalms: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you—the Lord ...

Only those among us who have received a terminal diagnosis know what it is like to get that news. I’ve pastored many individuals over the span of my 50-year career who found themselves in that situation. I’ve extended pastoral care and prayed with them, but that’s all I could do; I couldn’t feel what they felt. Then when I was in Jameson Care Center for rehabilitation, my oncologist called me and gave me the news. My cancer had returned and metastasized, the equivalent of stage four cancer. It was treatable but not curable. Now I too had a terminal diagnosis.  I’m positive about my condition. Doctors can predict a time frame, but God has the final answer. My faith and trust in Him has never been stronger. Just today, my wife and I were sharing experiences and she marveled at how much God has opened doors for each of us to share and minister to so many people; it’s absolutely amazing. We no longer have a “congregation” to care for, but we definitely have a ministry.  This older...

(Full disclosure, these musings are not intended to be a theological treatise.) I wish the Tower of Babel never existed. On our first trip to Guatemala we were with missionaries who could communicate with the nationals for us without a problem. On my second trip, three of us went to the mission’s annual conference, and at times we were without the benefit of a translator. That’s when I despised the Tower of Babel. If God hadn’t confounded the languages, we could communicate with others regardless of nationality. After being alone with our host for a period of time and only being able to smile, I vowed that I wouldn’t return until I learned some Spanish.  To shorten the story, the Church of Genesis provided me with the opportunity to study Spanish at the university level, with tuition, time to attend classes, and encouragement. I’m not fluent but can converse with Guatemalans and Nicaraguan friends who still  stay in touch nearly weekly. I will be forever grateful to the church...

I’ve been thinking recently how important it is for us to firmly establish our position  in Christ if we are  His genuine followers. This hymn has repeatedly been top of mind a lot lately : “Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb ; redeemed by His infinite mercy, His child, and forever, I am. I think of my blessed Redeemer, I think of Him all the day long; I sing for I cannot be silent; His love is the theme of my song. Redeemed, redeemed; redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; redeemed, redeemed, His child and forever I am.” Sometimes we question our worthiness. The words of the aforementioned hymn can be just words, OR  they can be affirmations of our relationship with Jesus. Consider this definition of what it means to be redeemed: “The work of Christ on our behalf, whereby He purchases us, He ransoms us, at the price of His own life securing our deliverance from the bondage and condemnation of sin.” Sin separated us from what God intended f...