…In His Presence

2 Corinthians 2: 14-17 was the scripture for Sunday. Since I am taking a preaching class on Monday’s I decided to preach on this subject again.

Now I never said my preaching was polished, perfect or without draw backs for some, but I would have never of taken this class on my own.  This last class is a required course for my MDIV and the UMC requires an MDIV, and so here I am.

The style of the professor and the one actually being highlighted in the course is one I rejected or moved past many years ago. I moved past the highly organized, imaginatively worded, and strikingly deep high church sermons that seem to be the cookie cutter preachers repertoire. I denied this because in my experience they were ineffective to the churches I been placed to shepherd and it wasn’t sincere on my part. It wasn’t sincere because it wasn’t the nature of the scripture, it exalted me and my imagination, and it wasn’t who I was or even desired to be.

It was ineffective because these sermons moved and inspired no one deeper into a relationship with Christ. They rarely helped anyone to that grand aha moment when they realize the word of God is powerful, wise and revealing. They were ineffective because they never drew people in to the arms of saving grace they so desperately needed to accept and know. You can say that the culture and context of my preaching had a lot to do with it, because I have mostly served small rural communities, but I am not sure that is it.

Sunday I talked about missing my wife and how being away from her I felt her absence and desired to be near to her. I likened it to the Upper Room when the disciples were without Jesus who had loved them, instructed them and led them. The confusion, doubt, and sense of separation must have been immense. That is until the wind blew and the Spirit descended like flames upon them.

Everything changed then, but my guess is this. They never felt apart from their Lord ever again. Sealed with His Spirit they always felt God near.

Wherever I am whether it is in Belize, the desert, or the mountain top I always feel the Spirit of the Lord near. Always!

When I was done preaching last night and the crowd was called to give their critique of my message one young man opened his mouth immediately and said, “That was the work of the Holy Spirit!”

Call it what you may and think that it loses something when it isn’t written down on a piece of paper and sounding like a beautiful poem filled with imaginative thoughts, it is what it is. It is me. It is the Spirit flowing unhindered through me. It is preaching the way the men of Galilee would have known and would have practiced themselves. It is simple, but in Christ it is powerful. It is heartfelt, sincere and people hear it, feel it, respond, and are even haunted by it.

What can you take away from this. Take away Sunday’s message points. Be sincere, Share with others, and be in His Presence. Everything else will fall into place.

Belize – Day 7

Today started with a morning worship service that was absolutely wonderful. When the people of Belize sing they yell. No…I’m not kidding. Even if the have a microphone turned up all the way they yell. Maybe it’s a sign I am getting old, but the volume in our church is timid compared to what I heard today.

Either way, it was good!

After church we settled down to some Ma and Pa Kettle as we had a meal fit for kings. Some of you don’t know this, but Ma and Pa Kettle is no longer shown on some stations because it has been banned for political incorrectness. In fact so has some Bugs Bunny Cartoons. We can’t watch Popeye anymore, because he smokes a pipe (Not really. He just eats spinach through it). Seems to me there are a few people in everyone elses business.

Stuffed and ready to pop I headed back to my room to repent from gluttony and work on my Greek homework.

It took all night, but it’s done. Tomorrow is actually a free day and we are heading out into the Caribbean to fish for our dinner and hopefully stock the Bible Institutes Freezer.

I didn’t say I was joking. This really is the plan!

Now we are talking my language and I’m not talking about Greek.

Belize – Day 6

The conference finished up today and most worked cleaning up in the afternoon.

It was a good conference and many people went away blessed.

Andrea and Corey worked hard throughout. The leaders here say they are indispensible. I can easily see why this is so. The work being done here is wonderful. They are equipping pastors and church leaders to minister to the nation fo Belize and they have done it well and the growth is easily seen.

We walked the market at night and had dinner at a place in town. The people played music in the town square and walked the streets talking to one another as they went about their daily life.

I can almost imagine at one time the towns of the US were like this. Until air conditioning became the norm and people left their porches, their walks, and parks for the solitude and comfort of their comfortable homes. People used to know how to communicate and treat each other with fairness then. If you didn’t everyone in town would know and everyone in town would avoid you or give you no business.

I enjoy talking to Tammy at night. I certainly love my wife and appreciate the load she carries when I am at home and the heavier load she carries when I am not.

May my wife and family, and even the church family so dear to my heart, be blessed this day.

Belize – Day 5

Today was full of conferencing. Pastors from all over Belize have driven, rode, and walked in for a day of preaching, teaching, singing and eating.

Pastor Rick said there are at least 12 denominations are represented here. The wonderful thing is that they all worship as one. If he hadn’t told me about the denominational affiliations I wouldn’t have been able to tell. We had young and old, new songs and old, and all worshipped, learned, and prayed together.

I don’t know what it means for me as a pastor to have heard all that I have heard today and walk away saying, “I know that, I’ve preached that, and I have taught that.” Maybe it means I need to seek deeper, but one thing for sure is it means, “To whom much is given; much is required.”

A half a day of conferencing tomorrow will finish the conference and I begin my Greek homework. Two days of wrestling with it should make me feel right at home.

Tammy and I have kept in touch using google+ and the girls and I have been talking through Facebook.

It’s always nice to visit somewhere and share your faith story, help feed some poor families, and meet new friends, but home is where this boy’s heart is calling.

Belize – Day 4

This morning started out driving to Drayden. At least that is what I believe the name of the village was called. We drove past beautiful scenery and signs that marked Mayan ruins. The village was as poor as the first we visited, but the school was much larger. It held preschool to fourth grade. In this school, and for these kids this is the end of their educational journey here unless they find somewhere else to go and a way to get there.

The same living conditions for many of them existed as in the previous village we had visited and yes some of these little darlings were without shoes as well. I saw windowless shacks, thatch roofed houses with dirt floors, out-houses, and lots and lots of rickety boards.

We as Americans might think these Belizeans are poor and financially they may be. They may be without the luxuries we get to enjoy, nor have the grand buffet of food choices at our fingertips, but they seem awfully rich to me. Richer than some of us have been in a long time. Rich in community and the will to survive and live life to the best of their ability.

Pastor Rick invited me to go on ahead and take some shots of the village and told me they would pick me up on the way out.

I encountered three young boys on their front stoop who obviously were not attending school. Why I don’t know. I gave them some money to give to their parents. Don’t know if I should have, but I felt led, so I did.

I’ve gotten to know many new friends connected to Christian Heritage Missions International.  They are certainly interesting and fun to be around.

Later on, after we returned back to the Bible Institute, we went to the drug store.  You won’t believe this, but Belizeans can actually come in and buy many of the drugs we need prescriptions for over the counter. And some of them cheaper than what we pay (minus the doctor’s visit). The only problem is you need the money to buy them.

I was told an interesting statistic. If you make 33,000 a year, then you are in the top 1% of the worlds wealthiest people. In fact 60% of the world’s population lives on under $1,000 a year. Yes we may be rich in wealth, but what about compassion? Compassioniote enough like all of you Kingsley, who in two days, fed over a 1,000 of the world’s poorest folks.

The Pastor’s Conference was unofficially kicked off this evening with worship and preaching. I can see how beneficial this would be to those Belizean proclaimers of the gospel who need a little encouragement in their call and service to Christ.

Pray for this conference and the christian servants who will come to be taught, fired up, and sent back out to be poured out for the salvation of others. Pray for Belize. Pray for America. Pray for the World. Pray; Come Lord Jesus, come.

Belize – Day 3

The day started out with prayer and a wonderful breakfast. Then came the heavy stuff. Like packing more beans and rice in preparation to go into the villages.

Then came a few hours of preparation for the pastor’s conference. Moving tables and hauling things. A big dog here named Bear had a huge fascination with me and almost knocked me over a few times. He is like a giant puppy.

After lunch we headed into the village we had visited the day before to hand out our bags and religious pamphlets. Of course such a thing is allowed in Belize. In fact they had the Ten Commandments posted in the classrooms.

The kids were excited and polite. Their classrooms are sheds with no doors and windows. They do have some supplies, but all in all, they don’t have much. They still use outhouses, no electricity, and have a shed for kitchen.

They were all dressed in school uniforms, but some of them didn’t even have shoes.

We then left to a small Belize church where we built a stage in the sanctuary. It’s funny. It is a cinderblock church with shutters for windows and plastic chairs, but they have got an expensive sound and video system. Go Fig?

We then returned home for the evening and I enjoyed some down time as I tried to keep my lunch from coming back up if you know what I mean. The food was good, but I don’t think it as agreeing with my stomach. Not sure it was the food, but something else.

Belize – Day 2

Today began with a good breakfast. In fact every meal we have had here has been delicious. Even the weather has been unusually low. I don’t think for one minute that God would change a weather pattern so Rex and I can be comfortable, but I am sure grateful for comfortable days.

After our morning briefing and a time of prayer we each headed to our respective duties. Our day began with the inspection of an area where Corey and Andrea will be calling home. It needed a great deal of work and the funding was needed to renovate it and prepare it for them and their new arrival. Rex and I immediately agreed it was a project worthy of our investment.

We then headed to town to buy four hundred pounds of rice and two hundred pounds of beans and bags to package them for distribution.

As I was taking a movie of Rex and I packaging beans I thought of smearing mud on our faces and having us act as if we were passed out. Then at the bottom of the screen I was going to pop in the title: Three Days Later. It felt like a long time packaging the rice and beans, but I suppose it wasn’t that bad and I don’t think Rex was up for my little gag either.

After awhile we traveled to a nearby village where pigs and chickens ran free, and dogs skinny as sticks laid in the sun. Some interesting sights indeed. Hardly any people were observed at all. Outhouses and rickety dwelling places stood in contrast to the little building that marked the place where the Internet had made its way into the wilderness.

The night ended with the Bible Institutes Tuesday night session. Rex and I listened to Corey teach and pastor Jimmy and Sister Freeman offer a few words concerning an upcoming session on faith sharing.

A busy day and a good night sleep was called for after all this.

I was able, with my sons help, to connect to my wife and we talked over the internet and face to face through google plus. I know it has only been a few days since I have seen her, but it was a welcome sight.