Life Without Mom

It’s been about a month now. My mother-in-law fought a grueling battle with cancer; all the way to her last breath. She left this life with faith, hope and love- especially love. It was a difficult thing to say goodbye. I had the chance to see her just a few days before she passed from this life to eternal life. Although her body was ailing, her heart was strong, her sense of humor intact and her eyes bright. Mom (really more of a mom than I can imagine) didn’t really want to go yet. Who does? She wanted to see her grandchildren grow up and be involved in the earthly experiences that are a real blessing of God. But it was her time and not one of us doubted that.

There is something much different about grieving the death of one who has such a strong relationship with the Lord. God says that the death of those who are faithful is precious to Him (Psalm 116:15). Unfortunately, this is not the common way of thinking in the church today. We look at death as a second rate alternative to living here on earth. We forget that we are just “strangers passing through”. We have lost sight of eternity and play to the temporary nature. Some segments of the church preach that unless we get all 85 years that we’re missing out on God’s best for us. What’s up with that? So we go to heaven earlier than others- that sounds like more of a blessing than a slight.

So our grief, although real and painful, is also hopeful. Our family has cried and worshiped at the same time; we’ve prayed with tears and with smiles. Truly, the intercession of others who love us has kept us strong during this time.

The hardest thing about saying goodbye to someone you love so much, is that we have this gap of time that we know we won’t see them for. The pain of death is really a great evidence that there must be more than this. We hurt because this is not the way God intended it originally. And that’s why He made a way to pass from here to there.

If you’re reading this and you’ve lost a loved one who knew Christ- take heart, be encouraged, and rejoice. It’s not over! It’s only just begun really. Of course, make sure that you’ve made the arrangements to join them one day by receiving the love of God through the death of his Son. Jesus conquered death for us through His death and resurrection. He has gone on to prepare a place for all of those who love Him and long for His appearing.

So, for now, we say goodbye- or as I like to say it, “see you later, mom!”

-peter

Holy Spirit Moments

As a pastor, there’s nothing more that I want to see happen in our church then to allow the Holy Spirit to move. But that one statement is also one that can be read in many different ways. For some a move of the Holy Spirit means that everyone stops what they are doing and the course changes. For some, it’s about the charismatic gifts flowing or the music going much longer than ordinary at a worship gathering.

Over the last several weeks at our church service there have been “interruptions” that are clearly Holy Spirit moments. This past week, during one of the songs, I felt that it was a time for prayer and calling people to a place of deeper trust in God. Other times there have been Scriptures or word pictures that people have given. Dreams and visions, prophecies and words. But Holy Spirit moments aren’t and shouldn’t be limited to what happens at a church service alone.

God speaks throughout our everyday, only it’s harder for us to listen when consumed with the things of life. That’s precisely why we need the Holy Spirit in the first place. He transcends our office work or our gas pumping. He works within homework or on a roofing job. Amazing really! The Holy Spirit is ready to move in the everyday of life among His followers, His church.

When I’m preaching, I feel alive with the Holy Spirit. It is probably because I need to so utterly rely on God at this time. But I want to practice His presence when I think I have it all together. I want my life to be filled with these moments of God when I run into an old friend or stop to have my haircut at the barber. I’d like to be able to truly live it out in a more full and more complete way.

Perhaps Sundays are experiments of God. He moves when we’re together. Even in our small groups (cells), we have great opportunities to be “led by the Spirit” in our conversation and relationship. But, let’s not stop there! Let’s long for Holy Spirit moments, moment by moment. Join me in the challenge to be more aware and more alive in Him.

-Pastor Peter

Our Heavenly Hope

Most people think of heaven as a place they will go when they die. And, though it’s true, it’s much bigger than that according to the Bible. We are given a picture of eternity that is far from floating on the clouds and playing a harp, but a reality that is both exciting and massive.

The book of Revelation gives us the most information about heaven. It talks about those who are currently there in the present heaven (chapter 6) and the future heaven on earth (chapter 21). Listen to the hope: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Currently there is a book that Oprah Winfrey is promoting called “A New Earth.” Unlike the Biblical view of eternity and spirituality, it is filled with self generated mysticism and a “things will get better” here and now mentality. The truth is that things aren’t getting better and without Jesus they won’t. We don’t believe this so that we run and escape the world we live in, but because we have a greater hope that comes through the power of the Resurrection. I know that this world is not my home, but that I’m temporarily living here to fulfill the purpose of God.

The problem we face is that it’s so easy to live here as if it’s all there is. We can become accustomed to the beauty and the joy and the comfort, and lose sight of what is “unseen”. Easy to do actually, to see what’s seen and not what’s unseen. Then when things aren’t going the best- like when it snows again in the Spring, or when someone we love gets sick, or when our bills are overdue- we grow depressed. Instead of looking to heaven, we look back to earth and try to do it all on our own again.

One day those who are followers of the Way (Jesus) will follow Him to their new home where there will be no more sorrow or pain. And what a day that will be. In the meantime, we wait and pray and build relationships that have eternal significance.

-Peter

A New Beginning

Now that our Sabbatical is over, Lisa and I have been walking in a sense of gratefulness for all that the Lord has blessed us with. Mostly…with the people that He has surrounded us with- people to love and to be loved by.

Coming back into the office last week was a treat. There were no piles to get through, not many phone calls to return, and I even had a low level of email. So, I came back thinking- this is the same place I left in January- but this is a New Beginning. Of course, it does help that this is Easter season! You wouldn’t know it here in New Hampshire with all of our snow- but something is happening beneath the surface that can only be described as miraculous. There is new life there….

As wonderful as our time of rest was, we are glad to be back and refreshed for the work ahead of us. I’ve come back realizing that God is in control (and we’re not), that there are so many others to be loved and for us to reach for Him, and that all we have to do is rest in Him as we enter His Kingdom work.

As we reflect on the Resurrection this Easter, let’s also remember that in Christ, all things are new- including the work that He is doing in and through us now!

-Peter

I am conflicted. I live in the world of the almost, but not yet. There are some wonderful things- blessings really, from God that I cannot help but to rejoice over every day. My family, my health, the church, the awesome beauty of creation- just to name a few. But I also have found that I can get so enamored with everything that life in this physical body has to offer that I can literally forget that there is much more beyond here.

I think we are reminded of both the temporary nature of this life and the promise of something better whenever someone we love dies. For the believer in Christ, there is something sad because we will miss them- but something that makes us glad, because we know that they’ve only really “passed” onto a truly better place. Reading the blog entry on Pastor Kevin’s sight really puts things in perspective. If you haven’t checked it out- you really should. Andrew Allard went on to be with the Lord one year ago. http://revkevgcc.wordpress.com/

While heaven is certainly a place we are promised by God the Father, it is also an attitude we should begin to live in now. What do I mean by that? I think we are too easily satisfied with the here and now. Surely God desires for us to be blessed and to enjoy the spiritual blessings of provision and healing and joy. But none of these things last here on earth. That’s why we are encouraged to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where they won’t rust or end. Think for a minute about all of the people who have ever experienced a miraculous healing from God. Think about those who were made whole or even raised from the dead in the Bible. What is the one thing that all of these people have in common? They have died or they will die.

During our Sabbatical we took one of the most wonderful vacation weeks our family ever experienced. I remember getting to the resort and saying, “this place is amazing- it’s like heaven.” That is the problem, friend. We actually don’t believe it gets any better than this. We’ve believed this real powerful lie of the enemy, and have made heaven a second-rate alternative. I think all of us can use a reality check…or what I’d like to call an “eternity check.”

The first series I’m preaching upon my return will be dealing with this whole subject. We’ll look at what Heaven is like and get excited together about what Jesus said about Him going there to “prepare a place for us.” But, we’ll also grow to have a better understanding of the Kingdom of God here and now. We’ll start on Easter Sunday- a real appropriate time to talk about Heaven considering that Jesus is the first one who opened up the gates for all who believe in Him through His resurrection.

There’s a popular song that has these words about heaven- “I can only imagine…” Well, I believe we can all move beyond imagination and begin to live the Eternal Life- in the almost, but not yet- with faith, perseverance, joy and expectation. I’ll see you all on Sunday, March 16th to share some more things the Lord has done in us during this Sabbatical.

-Peter

Panama Pete

Last Friday I returned from a Foursquare Supervisors trip to Panama. There were 13 of us that experienced some of the most incredible fellowship and brotherhood as we celebrated what God has done through our Foursquare family in this beautiful nation.

Panama was one of the first places that missionaries were sent from Angelus Temple (The Foursquare Church) back in the 1920’s. Since that time we now have over 500 churches throughout Panama. I was blessed to be able to preach in one of those churches while there. The people at the Centro Familia Christian Church responded to the message with much anticipation and expectation. Considering that I hadn’t preached for over 8 weeks (thanks again for the Sabbatical!), I was a little nervous. God put my nerves to rest when the pastor of the church gave a prayer and a word before hand that sounded just like the message that God had given me from Acts 14.Panama helped me realize how much I miss preaching, and how I am so looking forward to being back at GCC.

Another one of the highlights of this trip was a boat trip into an Indian village. About 30 native people live there and all but one of them have committed their lives to Jesus Christ. These people were much more primitive than you can imagine, yet just as loving and on-fire for Jesus as anyone else I know. We followed the tradition of the natives while we were there and all of the Foursquare supervisors got tattoos. You may be surprised that I would do this- but you won’t get to see it because it already washed off (it was henna ink). The photo I included shows all of us with the island chief and a scout going through the rainforest.

There’s so much more that I can say, including the amazing sight of the Panama Canal which we built with the help of the Panamanian people. While there we saw a US Sub go through the intricate lock system of the canal on its way to the Pacific Ocean. That was cool!

Well, our Sabbatical is coming to an end soon and we are getting so excited to see all of you at GCC again. With Easter just around the corner, it should be a fruitful time in the life of our church as many who are seeking purpose and answers in life will find Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life.

-Peter

Do I Want To Get Well?

Jesus went to the guy at the pool and asked this question. A strange question for to ask a man who had been paralyzed all his life, so it seems. But, you know, he never really answered Jesus because I think deep down he didn’t know what it really meant to be well. He was so used to it- and perhaps things were so much easier if they would just stay that way. Read about it in John 5.

I’m like that man in so many ways. I’ve learned this over the last couple of weeks during the Sabbatical. There are areas that I need to be restored from nd these are not comfortable things, but things that require a straight out answer to Jesus’ question. “Do you want to get well?”

Let’s take my “drive” for instance. People like me tend to push themselves (and others) more than we should. We think a lot and plan a lot and do a lot. But this capacity to carry a bunch of things at the same time can also get me into trouble. Creating Ishmaels my former pastor used to call it. Those are times when we go so fast that we fail to stop and ask the Holy Spirit if we should even be going that way at all. Drivenness is one of those things that Jesus has asked me if I want to get well from. I think I do.

I’m not going to bore you with the many other things that have prevented me from jumping into the waters of the pool of Bethesda, but trust me I’ve got them. So do you.

I know of some pastors who have been blessed to have a Sabbatical only to go back to their churches discouraged and depressed. Sabbatical was more like another task for them to get through instead of a time to stop and be restored. As you have been praying for me, I am looking forward to my return as a strengthened man. Sabbatical hasn’t been a super-cure for everything, only a pause that truly has refreshed me.

Keep praying please. Over the next few weeks I will be meeting up with several other supervisors in Panama as we observe the wonderful work of God among our Foursquare family there. I’m also looking forward to taking a true family vacation when the kids are out of school for February break.

Books I’m reading (or have read recently)- The Rest of God (Mark Buchanan) wow it’s better the second time around, Heaven- (by Daniel Brown), Mayflower- considering I’m not much of a history buff, it’s amazing I got through it, Beyond Megachurch Myths- very eye opening.

Getting (along) Well-

Peter

Home Cookin’

I’ve been listening to the Grace Capital Church messages over the past several weeks. I don’t think that this is breaking the rules of Sabbatical because I have been so built up and encouraged by the words of the sermons preached. Thanks Mark!

We’ve also been visiting around at other churches in the region. That’s been interesting, actually. All of these churches have been nice- but not our family. It’s like my grandmother’s sauce…nothing else compares- even the best restaurants or other great Italian cooks. I don’t know how she does it, whether there’s a secret ingredient or it’s the Long Island water, but I’ve never tasted meatballs and sauce any better than grandma’s. I think it’s a family thing more than anything- and you are our family.

So…as I heard the challenge to GCC- One Lord, One Faith, One Body, the last “one” really stood out to me this week. We miss you! What else can I say. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder”- “there’s no place like home,” and every other cliche’ having to do with belonging and connecting.

I bought Lisa a Michale Buble’ CD for Christmas. One of the songs called “Home” says:

Another airplane
Another sunny place
I’m lucky I know
But I wanna go home
Mmmm, I’ve got to go home
Let me go home
I’m just too far from where you are
I wanna come home

That’s longing, isn’t it? It’s a desire to be with those you are meant to be with; to sit together, to laugh together, to have pasta and sauce and a big loaf of Italian bread! We really are one body you know…we are made to belong. Being on Sabbatical has taught me much so far- and yet there’s more for me to learn – but one of the biggest things is this real spiritual and physical connecting we have!

As each of you become transformed into His image- His body, know that we are truly resting and refreshing and getting ready to reconnect soon!

-Peter

On Bad Calls and Life

One of the things that I have continued to do while on sabbatical is coach youth soccer. I enjoy it because there truly is an adrenalin rush that comes along with watching these kids play their hearts out. Winning isn’t everything, but it feels good when that’s the result of hard team play.

Last Friday we played in the playoffs. At the beginning of the season we didn’t really know what to expect. Although some of the kids had played together, many had not. The very first game was sad- we got killed. But from that point on I had the kids focused on teamwork, communication and lots of good passing. Believe it or not we finished the regular season 8-1-1. So, now we were in the “postseason.”

The first game was a nail-biter but we pulled off a good win. Second round action was even closer when the game came to a end with a 2-2 tie. Time for overtime next. Our kids played their hearts out and all of our arms went up with the sweet feeling of victory when we watched the soccer ball roll slowly into an open part of the opposing team’s net. It turns out it rolled too slowly though. The goal keeper fell on the ball and the referees called “no goal.”

Now was the moment we could either get angry or keep on playing. We continued to play the overtime session until the clock was at :10 seconds…and that’s when it happened. They scored and they won advancing to the next round. Oh well, what can you do, right? Except complain and moan and say that it’s not fair. You can also replay that really close call in your head again and again. But, it doesn’t change anything.

The funny thing is that the opposing team goal keeper was really humble after the game; he was very respectful and encouraged his teammates to do the same. It was like he was saying, “you and I know that your goal was good, but we got a break.” Yes, a break.

Bad calls are hard for some, but they are a break for others. Life has bad calls and breaks and they are often the same sentence, the same situation. Soccer has taught me that. I’ve learned that things go my way when I don’t deserve it, and things don’t go my way when I think I do deserve it. I’ve learned that life goes on even after a bad call or two. I’ve learned that the most important thing isn’t winning all the time, but it’s our response to winning, losing and bad calls.

What I’m reading? Just finished two novels: Playing For Pizza by John Grisham and Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Next up: The Rest of God & Hidden In Plain Sight (both by Mark Buchanan), also Sex- God, by Rob Bell (It’s not what you think…it’s about relationship).

What I’m praying? To hear God more. To be sensitive to pray specifically and personally for all of you at GCC. To learn during this time-through everything, even coaching soccer.

Complete Something

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

In the world of pastoring, it’s really difficult to say that you’ve completed something; that you’re finished.  Just as soon as you have mastered sermon preparation or helped to bring reconciliation to a marriage or master planned the vision for a new year- there is still more to be done.  I’ve never gotten to a point in ministry that I have been able to just sit back and said, “now it’s all done.” For that reason, I have designed my Sabbatical to have an element of completing something.

Gordon MacDonald, who is a friend and a mentor told me I ought to do this. He said that there was a season in his life when he realized how unfinished pastoring is and that it was beginning to wear on him. So, he decided that it was time to complete something. For him, it was an entire home that he helped build. I am not that quite ambitious. I started with something smaller- namely, replacing our flooring in our home.

Last Thursday I began this project, ripping up carpets and meticulously removing the tack strips and the baseboards. Then, with the help of a couple of others, I put in hardwood floors throughout our upstairs bedrooms. This was fun, but it was also difficult work for me. I am accustomed to working with people, more of a mental and “spiritual” work than a “hands on” physical work.

I learned a lot while I was measuring and cutting boards. I gained great insight carrying up heavy boxes of wood. As I snapped tongue and groove in place and saw the floor become transformed before my eyes, something happened that only could happen by completing a project like this. Here’s what I learned:

• There is a exhilaration that comes when something is finished. Unlike pastoring, which I love, I now know what it feels like to be done with something.
• I can relate. For those of you who work the hard work of physical labor, who build or fix or do something that makes you sweat- I admire you.
• I will remember. Not only every time I look at my labor of love, but every time I move my right arm for a while. My body is sore as a result of completing this.
• It all feels good. As “non-spiritual” as some would say a project like this is, it has made me feel good in a different way from ministry.
• Some of my ministry partners at GCC, joked about whether or not I could do such a project. No…it’s true- I did most of the work and had some help!

Thank you for letting me do this. It has been different and yet fulfilling. I have completed something!

As you continue to pray for us during Sabbatical, please remember Lisa’s mom in your prayers. She is moving onto her fifth round of chemo for stage 4 colon cancer. We are seeing great improvements in her health although there are days that she is really weak. Everyone of us are believing for her total health and healing. You would be amazed by her faith and her perseverance in the middle of this storm.

We think about you every day- we love you more than you can imagine- we appreciate your heart toward us.

-Peter

(By the way, thanks for your comments, I read them! Although I may not respond, I will post them for others to read.)