Monthly Archives:

May 2009

Church Mouse

The Celebration of 40 Years

Me with some of the children during the Sunday morning children's parable.

The local paper, Ballston Spa Life, printed a great article about First Baptist Church’s Sunday Celebration of the Church Mouse Nursery School 40th Anniversary.  Many former teachers, staff, and students came to celebrate this accomplishment in the life of our church.  It is unbelievable that our church and preschool has been serving the educational needs of the children of Ballston Spa for 40 years!  Thousands of children have gone through our “little” preschool and remember how they learned about the love of God.

The paper included a little history of the church’s preschool:

What began with one teacher and a couple dozen students grew to become a staple for many families regardless of church affiliation, who sent their children to Church Mouse before they marched bravely through the doors of kindergarten.

It is amazing to think that this “little” baptist church in Ballston Spa could touch the lives of so many people.  Our enrollment is up to about 120 children for the fall of 2009.  Thank you to all the teachers and staff for 40 wonderful years.  We look forward to the next 40 years!  If you are interested in learning more please visit the Church Mouse website.



Pentecost B

Pentecost: On Fire, Literally

man-on-fireHave you ever been on fire?  I know it is kind of a crazy question.  One time, I was filling an oil lamp and I spilled the oil on my hands.  I wiped off the oil on my hands using a cloth thinking that I had prevented any calls to the fire department.  I put the cloth down, sealed the oil lamp, and then proceeded to light the lamp.  Smart, I know!  I should have washed my hands.  When I lit the lamp, the left over oil on my hands caught on fire.  I was literally on fire!  The good olde stop, drop, and roll did not really help because my entire body was not on fire, just my hands.  My hands were burning and I ran like heck because it hurt.   I did not know where I was running, but I ran.  As I ran, I tried to pat the fire out on my body, which ended up burning my shirt.  I quickly ran to a sink nearby and poured water over my hands.  Ahhhh, crisis averted.

This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday.  It is the remembrance of how the Holy Spirit came down on the disciples and others gathered and experienced flaming tongues of fire, rushing wind, and the ability for everyone to understand people in different languages.  There were those who believed it was God acting, as foretold by the prophet Joel (see Joel 2:28-32) and there were those who thought these men were drunk with new wine.  Peter stands up to make sense of what was happening.  They are not drunk!   But, they are experiencing with God promised would happen, that His Spirit would be poured out on Israel’s sons and daughters.  Jesus told the disciples in John 15: “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the father, He will testify on my behalf… He will guide you to truth…He will glorify me.”

Literally, those gathered at Pentecost were on fire, in the Holy Spirit.  Figuratively, they were on fire for God.  They desired to share this experience.  The direct affect of the coming of the Holy Spirit enabled people to repent, believe, and be baptized.  They had a burning desire to live in community (Acts 2:42) and to serve God.  Being on fire, for God, in the figurative sense means that we must experience the Holy Spirit’s life giving presence.  How do we do that?  By worshiping, praying, believing, serving, and deepening our faith in Christ.  Being on fire for God means that we share that Pentecostal power of God’s Spirit changing our lives.  The Pentecostal experience was meant to be shared with others and not meant to be kept hidden.  This Pentecost, may you be on fire for God.  May you be on fire with the presence of the Holy Spirit, who comes to bring the sustaining power of God.  May you be on fire for God, who enables miracles to happen.  May God burn within you, giving you the warm love of grace in your heart.

So, next time you catch on fire, make sure you catch on fire for God…er… figuratively.

God

Escapism

When I was child, I would look up in the sky and wonder if clouds tasted like cotton candy. I know it’s weird, but what else is there to do when you are kid? I hoped that someday I will be able to get up in the sky, away from everyone else, and try to taste the clouds. I would also dream about flying and sky diving out of a plane. I have not yet been sky diving (I think the church would take an insurance policy out on me if I did, just kidding.) but I think it would be pretty sweet to venture through the sky and the clouds.

So many people want to escape things.  That’s why we have people like Jimmy Buffett, who has made a career of “escapism” through food, music, and concerts. Or, skydiving is a way to get a thrill. We are always looking at the next bigger and better thing down the road to get us “away” from what is going on around us. We all need a vacation, don’t get me wrong, but society is all about escaping from aging, relationships, responsibility, debt, or even helping others.

The day that Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples were left staring up in the clouds. Two angels asked, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand look up toward heaven?” (Acts 1:11) As I read this, I thought that it is almost if the two angels knew that the disciples were looking up into heaven wanting to escape just like Jesus did. The truth is, Jesus did not escape… he ascended to the glory of God. His earthly work was done. These two angels were wondering why the disciples were staring up in heaven. They got work to do!  The Holy Spirit is coming!  The Kingdom of God is at hand. There are people out there who need to hear about Christ. The disciples were looking up wishing that they too could get away, but God had something else in mind.  The the Holy Spirit was coming on the Day of Pentecost. People were going to hear about Jesus and God needed individuals to tell the story.  The disciples were needed for something greater.

We as God’s people are called to join together, not escape one another. What is God calling me for? What am I trying to escape from? Why am I trying to escape? What do I need to do in order to move on?

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