I Think Maybe it's TIME

I've had several friends encourage, cajole, and maybe even threaten me a little about writing the book. You know the one, it's the one that resides in everyone's mind, the life story, the account of great--or maybe not so great--things he or she may have accomplished.
After listening to many, and having read a couple books by good friends in my profession, I guess it's really time to do that.  The final thrust came as I finished one such book just today, often laughing so hard I had tears running down my face.
Much of it will come from the Game Warden Files posts, and that will be the working title of the book.  I'm putting a deadline on myself of having a working manuscript ready the time Peggy and I head for Maine--probably the latter part of June.
Stay tuned and keep me encouraged.  Off on the new adventure.

A Long Hiatus, Yet Again

When someone on a forum asked for any of us who had blogs to post the links, I went "Um...will my link still work?"  Yeah, it's been months again, and though I probably could have made some posts, I just have not made it a priority.  Maybe I can explain how hectic life has been.
In January and February I had opportunities to preach in a couple churches.  One is pastored by a good friend who would be on vacation.  The other was the church I'd grown up in, down in East Chatham about 80 miles away while its pastor was doing some work in Africa.
I had a great time with both groups, preaching twice in each church.  My wife got to join me for one of the Sundays in E. Chatham and we spent the rest of the afternoon with some old friends...oops, make that friends of long standing...in the area.
A couple weeks later, I had a mid-afternoon phone call on a Saturday asking "How are you at short notice?"  Seems a local pastor had left a church suddenly and their scheduled pulpit supply for that next day had developed a conflict.  One thing led to another and before long I wan't just the preacher, I was the interim pastor.
Preaching is really pretty easy.  If you put the prayer and preparation into the message, the presentation is usually not that difficult.  That said, when done with a 20 minute message, I'm most often drenched with sweat and my hands are generally ice cold--yeah, sort of an odd combination, but that's the way I am. It's fun; but it is work.  Trying to grasp the dynamics of an organization such as a church, and tread the ever-present minefield of relationships (present in all churches, by the way) is challenging.  They surely didn't teach me that stuff in the police academy! We've started a couple new programs and the church seems to be moving along well. Thankfully, this is a church filled with servants.  Though small, the congregation works to keep it running pretty smoothly, and most everyone pitches in to get what must be done, done.  God is indeed good.
In other news, I'm now officially old in that I've filed for my Social Security.  My first check hits the bank the end of next month.  That means that I have to really watch my monthly income from the church, my two police jobs, our little Christmas tree farm, and whatever else I might dabble in. So, as much as I've loved teaching the DARE program, I'll wrap it up in May or June and hand it over to another Deputy that I pretty much hand picked.  She'll do a great job, I'm sure.  I'll be staying with both the agencies, though limiting my work to a couple court details, a few village patrol days every month and firearms training.
Since I mentioned trees, we had a great year in our Christmas tree farm, selling more trees than before and giving more away, with those going to the Baptist Church of Northville--still our home church, and the Sacandaga Bible Conference.  Some of most beautiful trees went to the Bible Conference this year and were gorgeous for the Christmas program.    
In the middle of all this, we've kept up our  traveling, even taking our 14 year old grand girl with us on a trip to Maine late in the summer.  We also made our annual pilgrimage to Beaverdam in Tennessee for the encampment of the Christian Game Warden Support Group. At the moment, we're really looking for someplace warm for our end of winter trip.  Stay tuned....I might even get around to posting that.

BASICally Outstanding

It's tough to read a review of a place or a report of an event that is done purely in superlatives--it's tough to write one without feeling like I haven't been observant enough to find at least something to criticize--at least a little bit. However, looking at the 2014 Basics Conference, held at Parkside Church in Chagrin Falls Ohio earlier this week, it is pretty tough to find problems. The music was excellent; speakers the same; the food beyond belief for such an event...you get the picture (http://www.parksidechurch.com/partners/basics/). The BASICS Conference has been an annual even at Parkside for many years. This was my fourth year attending and I've not been disappointed at all.

• The music is always well done.  A praise band with a wide range of skills from guitar and mandolin to piano to washboard to violin plays all the music well and leads the singing with joy. The music is never mindless; but always uplifting and fitting to the teaching session which it introduces or closes. The musicians "all have real jobs" as was said; but give up their time to devote to this ministry. They do an awesome job. 
• The speakers were awesome. Alistair Begg himself is an internationally known speaker, preacher and teacher, he opens and closes the conference, sandwiching in a couple other exceptional men whom he believes to be among the best in the world. This year he had Christopher Ash and Gary Millar as his guests. Their messages were clear and compelling calls for pastors and leaders to do their jobs well and filled with practical tips on how to do it. All of them are easy speakers to understand and present their messages clearly, concisely and simply. All speak with humility and grace.  It's interesting that Begg, whose theology appears to be Baptistic, often has Anglicans and Presbyterians as his guests. He trusts them as Godly and honest men without regard for their denominational affiliations--we should all learn from that. That openness allows the presence of men who come from a great variety of denominations--this year there were even a couple Amish men there. That's diversity without compromising truth! 
• Books by the Park is the in-house bookstore at Parkside Church. Only the largest Christian bookstores are as well stocked and as helpful as this. During the conference, many major publishers underwrite some of the cost, allowing the store to sell everything at a substantial discount--this year was 30%!  If a student has a hundred dollars to spend, it's wise to wait for that conference.  
• The meals are something to behold--and for a men's conference, that's important. The food is always good, well prepared and served in ample quantities--we won't even discus the desserts except to say they are amazing. The high point seems to be the Tuesday night BBQ with wonderful ribs and chicken, done to perfection. Served with spicy BBQ beans and sweet corn, it's a wonderful meal. 
• The meals cannot be discussed without talking about the service. Though the meals are catered in, Parkside volunteers do all the service, serving with "great joy and humility," as was mentioned. A church that engenders that culture of service is to be commended for that alone, if nothing else. The volunteers are retirees, housewives, folks on vacation college students..., all kinds. One fellow flew in from California and spent three days just making coffee, nothing else. That's the heart of a servant. 

So, yes, this is review in superlatives.  I expect next years will be as good or maybe even better--though I can toss out no viable suggestions on how they can improve it. Well, maybe one suggestion--men, get a bunch of guys from your church to join us!

Too Good to Pass Up

Sharing this transcript of Erwin Lutzer's statement on a major problem of the church today.

Dr. Erwin Lutzer message from the Understanding the Times Conference
April 26, 2014, Minneapolis, MN
This is this trouble, this is the rub. If you are 40 years old or younger, there’s the 40-40 split in
America. If you are under 40, you probably belong to a group of evangelicals who basically see
nothing wrong with same sex marriage. They are more tolerant, saying that there may be other
religions that lead you to God, so on and so forth. I say it humbly: They don’t have much of a
clue. Not everybody of course, but many of them have no clue what the implications are or what
the real issues are. They were reared by “Will and Grace” on television.
They are obsessed with technology. Many young people – not the ones that are here today by the
way; they are the exception – but many young people are so narcissistic. Yesterday I heard on
the news that one kid took 200 selfies – 200 pictures of himself in a single day. I mean the whole
technology world out there.
So there are those who say we can’t preach against homosexuality or mention Islam or anything
because we want to win these people to Christ, and that’s a barrier. So what we’ve found is that
the gospel and its implications are often dumbed down. Then you have a form of ecumenism that
compromises the gospel. And then there’s something else and that is it’s popular today to say,
“God loves you unconditionally.”
Now, to the one who’s sitting in the pew that’s sleeping with his girlfriend, he says to himself, “I
know exactly what that means. That means that it’s okay for me to continue to sleep with my
girlfriend because, after all, God loves me unconditionally. That’s His job. That’s who He is.
You see it used to be, and some of you who are older would remember this, that preachers used
to preach against sin, and then when people knew that they couldn’t live up to God’s standard,
and they were aware of their sin, then grace was offered to them. Thank God for amazing grace,
how sweet the sound.
Today grace is offered up front. Grace is offered to people when they don’t even know they need
it and whether or not they really care as to whether or not they want it because God loves you
“unconditionally.” Not to put too fine a point on it, but there are several different passages in
Scripture in the Psalms where it says that God says, “I am angry with the wicked every day.” Certainly, God loves the elect, those who are saved and He loved them, the Bible says, from the
foundation of the world. But to throw that out there for everybody to hear – that God loves you
unconditionally – is really to water down the seriousness of sin and the real understanding of
grace. Because you cannot understand grace until you fully understand sin and the better you
understand sin the better you will magnify grace. But we don’t have that today in our society.”

Not My Battle

That's a true statement in some way, though not in others. Some of my friends would rather that I be more vocal and visible in my stances toward a lot of issues, particularly the erosion of personal rights in our nation. That's a big issue, and I support my friends in their fights on the many fronts; but I have chosen a different line of attack based upon my beliefs, my theology.
I do not believe that this is a purely physical battle. Actually, I believe that what we're seeing is only the physical manifestation of a spiritual battle.  In the book of Ephesians, Paul tells his readers where the real battle lies, it is "against authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm."
All bad government aside, all bad policies aside, all conspiracy theories aside; here and here alone is the battle. I will take my stand as a preacher and teacher--and even a blogger, not lashing out against the evils we see; but against the one we cannot see: the father of lies, the prince and power of the air, the god of this age...Satan himself. He is the source of the problem.
If men would seek God, follow Christ and Christ alone, Satan would have a much more difficult time damaging our lives. Will I support those who battle the earthly side? Certainly. Will I speak on their behalf? Of course. However my part of the battle will be on a different echelon, urging men and women to come to terms with sin. When hearts are changed, lives are changed, belief patterns change. When beliefs change, behavior changes, politics change. I will attack the problem at the root.

Ephesians 6: 12: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places 2 Chronicles 7:14: if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land

A Fly on the Wall

Sometimes that fly is in a position to see some great things.

It was a small courthouse in an obscure town. Even a GPS has trouble getting folks there without a few wrong turns. It was not a busy court night, nothing big on the calendar, really just traffic tickets and a couple low-level offences.
The guy had LOSER written all over him: rough, rumpled clothing; unkempt, dirty hair; scruffy beard. His face was tired, the sagging eyes suggested a history of alcohol abuse. He came in, met with the prosecutor to see if could make a deal of some kind on his charges and then took his seat, waiting quietly to be called by the judge.
The judge is the epitome of a small-town judge. A godly man, he attempts to administer justice appropriately.  He's a bear of a man, looming large behind the bench in his black robe. He takes each case seriously and deals with each case on its merits.
When the man was called before the judge, the judge noted from the plea agreement that the prosecutor had recommended a low fine as the defendant was a disabled veteran. The judge, a veteran of Vietnam himself, inquired about the man's service and found that he had served there also. The picture became clear to the judge--he was looking at one of the overlooked heroes, one of the many had come home from an ugly and unpopular war and had never recovered from its effects. He noted, on the record, the fact of the service and thanked him for it--probably more recognition than he had when he returned home from the war. Making a decision as good judges do, the magistrate opted to reduce the fine considerably, to an amount that most people can spend without thinking much about. The man thanked the judge for the consideration, and asked for a couple weeks to pay the fine. His check would come the first of the month, until then, he'd be unable to pay.
Until that time, court had been business as usual; but then something unusual happened. A woman in the courtroom got the attention of the bailiff and quietly asked if it would be OK to pay the man's fine. She was given permission to approach the bench, which she did, and handed the judge the money for the fine. She was totally unknown to the defendant; but had heard the dialogue between him and the judge and decided to take an action. The judge was speechless, the defendant stunned; the courtroom came to a complete stop for a moment--several moments, actually.
The lady who had stepped up and paid the fine had to run out the door to compose herself; the defendant had tears in his eyes and his family was in awe; the judge had a lump in his throat and the bailiff suddenly disappeared into the judge's chambers. When court resumed, it was different than a normal court session.  Folks who had driven many miles to have their day in court and were anxious to get on the road homeward were just a bit more patient than normal; fines were paid with smiles; and thanks to the judge, prosecutor, clerk and bailiff were just a bit more frequent, and seemed a bit more heart-felt.
Funny what happens when someone steps up and does the right thing, just because it's the right thing to do. Life changes, and the change is a good one.

Sobering Thought

This morning I started reading John Piper's book called Don't Waste Your Life. I'm a couple chapters in and so far, so good. Early on in the book he mentions that throughout his growing up years there was a plaque in his mom's kitchen that he saw every time he walked through through there. He described it in great detail, and I recognized it...right down to the details of color and design. My dad had the same plaque in his shop. It said: Only one life, 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last.

Piper seems to have taken that to heart, being a well know preacher, teacher and writer of solid doctrine. Dad was not perfect and will never be known far and wide like John Piper; but anyone who knew him well knew where he stood on matters of faith. Even if they didn't notice the sign on the wall in the shop, they could see it in his life. He lived it out and displayed it within his family.

Most likely, in the not so distant future, my siblings and I will be called upon to write our dad's obituary. He's 94, in a nursing home and dealing with the ravages of dementia; but he's still Dad. A pastor friend paid him a visit last week and they talked about him needing to live that same way yet. He still understands.

Dad's legacy will show four successful children, all hard working in their callings. One has spent most of her life in full-time ministry, another has been part-time in ministry and serving his local church for years and a third has spent time serving as an officer in his church also. Looking beyond that, he has grandchildren who are hard working and successful, and some of them involved either in full-time or part-time in Christian service. Two generations removed from his active life, what was done for Christ is still visible and ongoing. The great-grandchildren are still growing.

No doubt, some of this will end up going into his obituary or will come out in eulogies when the time comes, and that's a sobering--and yet a refreshing thought. He is leaving a lasting legacy: What's done for Christ will certainly last. His life has been proof.

Critter Stuff

Like most people, I love animals.  I love dogs and cats--when they belong to others; wildlife--both when viewed safely in their natural environment or properly in legitimate zoos or animal farms, and I'd have to add when skillfully prepared on my dinner plate; and domestic animals--whether providing a source of power, material such as wool, or a source of food.
Also like most, I abhor the thought of animals being mistreated and/or abused; but what qualifies as abuse? I've had people complain to me about local Amish farmers abusing their horses by using them to harvest hay on a hot day.  Is that abuse?  I think not, as they would not treat a possession as valuable as that in a manner likely to cause it harm; but it gets noted as abuse.
Is it abuse to euthanize an animal injured on the side of the road?  Though some may be rescued and ultimately returned to the wild, the success rate is not that high, nor are there many skillful enough to undertake such a task.  My hat is off to those have done and continue to rescue such animals; but it takes a lot of time and resources to pull it off.
And then there are the supposed "rights" of cats, dogs and other animals held as pets, or for any other reason. They have ceased to be pets, and are now treated better than the children of some families
Again, there is no reason to mistreat an animal, and laws should be enforced when abuse is discovered; but why is it that there is so much outrage when a dog is maltreated; so much news coverage when a house full of abandoned animals is found, and cries of MURDERER when such a thing as a rhinoceros is killed illegally.
Have we forgotten what's really important?  While animals hold value--and truly they do--they do not hold the value of a human life.  I see item after item in the news about animal mistreatment, blog and facebook posts without number about homeless, mistreated or neglected dogs and cats, but where is the outcry when people are harmed? How many bloggers rail against the child abusers, elder abusers, abortion, euthanasia...? How many facebook posts--by good people, mind you--decry these things?  Not many when compared to the number that worry about our furry and feathered friends.
Man was put on earth to, among other things, be stewards of God's creation. While we haven't always been really good at, we've done even worse at caring for the creature made in God's own image.  Let's pay more attention to the care of mankind and not worry so much about the rights of the other lives we are to steward.

It's Not My Fault

There's a young lady in our family who was having a run of bad luck around the time of a family gathering. Her continual cry was "it's not my f-a-u-l-t," dragging the last word out for dramatic effect. There was nothing serious going on, so fixing blame was not really an issue; but we did harass her by quoting her for many gatherings thereafter.
I have a young friend though, for whom everything seems to be not his fault. In the last few years nearly his entire life has gone downhill. Failed relationships, out of wedlock children, job issues, excessive alcohol consumption...all of it seems to be the fault of someone else. It's that woman, that man, that boss, that person, that set of circumstances....  Never is there any acknowledgement that he might have something to do with at least a little bit of the problem. Sadly, I think that attitude is going to destroy what's left of what was once a promising career. He's bright, talented, personable, and in denial.  He fails to see that the common denominator is himself.
When our kids were in school, we often heard about "that dumb teacher," and in fairness to the kids, a couple times the teacher was the primary component of the problem. However, when there were several "dumb teaches" at one time, we sat the kids down and made them look at it objectively: What is the common component here? It was usually the student, not the teacher. It took some doing, but the boys all faced up the issues, got through them and are now successful men.
My point here is that I am pained when folks fail to stand up to their own failings, deal with them and move on. Continually blaming others will never allow a person fix a problem. I have watched a near never-ending parade of promising lives being destroyed by men and women who fail to face up to the realities of their own choices. So often, facing up to a problem early on stops the problem in its tracks while ignoring it only makes it worse.  Penalty delayed is like interest on a loan, it only gets greater the longer it's unpaid.
So, identify the issue, deal with whatever your responsibility is and move on. You'll be better for it.

He Made Me Do It

One of the many sub-specialties I've developed in my nearly 40 years of police work is teaching the laws regarding the use of physical force and deadly physical force. This came as a byproduct of being a firearms instructor. One of the things that must continually be reinforced is the reality that we, as police officers, are not generally the actors, but the re-actors. We respond to the actions of another.
In my years I've been blessed with the ability to talk my way out of most situations; I've even told drunks "GO OUT AND SIT IN THE BACK SEAT OF MY CAR," and they have done it...then along came last night.
It wasn't a horrible call, bad enough; but I've been on worse. It finally came to the point where the other guy made the decision for me. The best use of resources, the most effective way to end the conflict, the safest way to get it over with was to use the Taser.
In spite of several warnings, verbal directions, more warnings...I deployed the tool. What a horrible decision to make, to put fifty thousand volts into another human being! However, he had made the decision; he made me do it. The safety of the others made it necessary. He made me do it. Not a second thought nor a regret has gone through my head.

Time Lost

Lately its been on my mind that my dad had a small sign up in his business: "Only one life, 'twill soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last."
When I compare myself to others, I guess I've been somewhat successful at doing things for Christ. I've done mission work, taught Sunday School at times, served as a deacon, and am now a preacher; but I really lost 10 years that I could have done something.  On top of that, when I compare myself to other men I know, men who set their courses earlier in life and have worked tirelessly for Christ, I see that I have fallen far short, not a lot of lasting work.
I had all the right excuses, dating my wife, then busy with a young family, then trying to establish myself in my profession--all good things--but I neglected those things that would have had a lasting impact. It really wasn't until we were in Staten Island that I got really serious.
I had been raised in a great family and a good church, had accepted the Lord as my personal Savior when I was about 10 and from all appearances was on track--and I was, sort of. My faith kept me from many of the problems I could have; but that was all about me, not really about Christ--the things that last.
Shortly after joining Bethel Evangelical Free church in Staten Island, the pastor told me that my name had come up in the nominating committee and I had his endorsement for any position I might be asked to fill. A couple days later, I was asked to be a deacon. That's when I got serious, I became a Bible student and a worker, a servant. It's been a steady climb since then. I love the growth that God has granted me; but mostly I love the impact that I have had on other lives. However, I often ask myself how much more impact--those things done for Christ--could I have had if I'd not forfeited those 10 years.
My point here is that my passion is turning to developing leadership in the local churches. I have a basic grasp on what kept me out of it when I was younger, but wonder what factors are causing it now. Men are not stepping up to the plate and leading, that's a church-wide phenomenon. I'd probably be happy if I saw more of the 30 year old guys getting into it--but they are not. I'd be ecstatic if I saw more than the few 20- something aged guys jumping into it.  
So, if you read this and have some ideas, please drop me a line at wpitcher@nycap.rr.com.  

Stuck in My Craw--Again!

Make no mistake about it, I do love animals--other peoples' animals that is. I'm done with pets because of the ownership issue...they own me, not the other way around and at this point in life I can't have that. I'm also happy that people love their pets and that many people have great concern for animal welfare in general. That's really a good thing; no animal should be deliberately mistreated.
However it concerns me that the mindset is leaning toward the care the animals above all else. Cases of animal abuse abound, to the shame of those who are guilty of it. It may be small animals--allowing a house to be overrun by cats, dogs and other small animal to the point where they can't be cared for; it may be large animals--rescuing horses llamas and other such sized animals while being without the capacity to care for them. It may be so-called "puppy mills" where breeders keep their animals in poor condition. It may be other circumstances. Whatever the reason, there are laws standing to deal with them, and those laws should be enforced. I've been part of such enforcement actions and would do so again without hesitation.
What concerns me is the reaction of a segment of the public which viciously attacks the people charged with animal abuse and crusades against it. There is outrage! They protest, picket, use the media to crucify the offender.
Where are these people when children are abused? Where is the outrage when women are trafficked? Oh, I get it, a dog has more value than a child, a horse than a woman.... Did I even mention abortion? How many of those same protesters, who will drive miles to make a scene over animals even care about the thousands of babies being killed each year?
There's no way to really conclude this post so I'll just end it abruptly...like the heartbeat of an aborted child.

Game Warden Files--A Pervert on the Island

In my early days in Fulton County, Ray VanAnden and I shared a patrol boat on the Great Sacandaga Lake. It was not a bad boat--if you wanted to take a family boating; but not a good patrol boat by any means. Among other deficiencies was that it had no marine radio, something I'd fought to get for many years. I finally got one and was pivotal in making a good case along with the Fulton Co. Sheriff's Office.
Deputy Scott McCoy who was on the Sheriff's boat and I were stopped chatting somewhere near Northampton Campsite when my brand new radio crackled to life. Someone on Sand Island was calling a marina to ask them to call the police.  There was a flasher on the island and they had him trapped. I acknowledged the call and Scott and I headed for Sand Island--about a 10 minute run at top speed. My boat wasn't a good patrol boat, but it was fast, and I was a quarter mile or so ahead of the Sheriff's boat by the time we approached the island. I went to one place where there was a pile of arm waving and Scott went to the other. The bad guy was getting away and swimming for his anchored boat. Just as he reached it, I tied off to it and told him that he was under arrest--hoping I had the right guy, and there really had been a crime committed.
Scott did a couple interviews and confirmed that there was a case to be made, so he took the man into his boat while I stayed on the island to take statements. This guy had exposed himself to a couple young girls and a couple women in their 30's and 40's.  The young girls gave pretty good statements and one of the other women--who was a surgical nurse--was able to describe him in clinical detail...scars and all.
As I collected more information, I found that this guy had been doing this on and off for about twenty years. Though it had been reported frequently, including the registration number to his boat, he'd never been caught. When I checked the registration on the boat I found the likely reason: the boat registration was from several states away. He would bring the boat here each summer from that other state, use it for a short time and then return it. You can bet that I wrote my bosses a memo explaining just how critical that radio had been to making that case.
I don't recall what the outcome of the case was; but since I was never called to a trial of any kind it probably settled out with a plea agreement of some kind.

Sticky Note

I have a sticky-note app on desktop to my computer. I stuck a random thought there a few days ago before I lost track of it.  Didn't know exactly what I was going to do with then, but for now I'll develop the thought here and maybe build it into something better in the future.
The note says "re-defining, re-aligning, and re-assigning. The thoughts developed from my growing concern over the direction our nation, our culture and our churches are headed.
First we're re-defining God. The God of the Bible introduced himself to Moses at the burning bush as "I AM," which in Hebrew is the term from which we get the proper name of God in English: Jehovah. He did not introduce himself as "I am whatever you want me to be." Yet, we have ignored what the Bible has to say about God and invented a god (note the lower case g), who does not have the character of God, the attributes nor the authority as taught in Scripture.
We have re-assigned the role of God in our lives--if we consider there to be one at all--to be not important. He's just there and has no impact on our lives, a personal relationship is unimportant, He cares not about sin, he just loves.... In fairness, this has been happening over the last hundred years. It's not a new thing at all; it just has become worse.
Finally our churches are re-aligning with popular culture. After re-defining Him and re-assigning His role in our lives, they simply change the line of their path with the way of the world. That is not the role of the Church as Christ founded it. The church and it's people were to be salt and light to a hurting world. That is no longer the case.  
We are told--maybe warned is the better word--in Romans 12:1-2 about letting the world squeeze us into its mold. That's exactly what has happened. I guess folks just haven't been paying attention.

A Byproduct of Lesson Planning

We're getting ready for a leaders' retreat in which all the deacons and trustees of our church, along with our two pastors, get away for a short time for some directed study and prayer. It's always a good the time for us.
This year, our pastor gave me the task of preparing a lesson on Acts 16:16-40, a very common passage dealing with Paul, Silas and the jailer in Philippi. There's a lot of meat in the passage, but in my first work session in preparation I came to this conclusion:
People pushed to the end of themselves, overwhelmed by needs, looking for a quick fix, and without any previous knowledge of godly things look to Jesus for temporal help and find their eternal needs met. Our example to them in handling adversity, as individuals or as a church may bring them to us.  We must be ready to provide the message.  

Long on "Going to," Short on Follow Through

Guilty, guilty and guilty; I must admit it--I am guilty of this.  Incomplete projects, unmet deadlines, unmet expectations...done it all. Hopefully, those hurt by my personal failures have forgiven, or maybe even forgotten the events. This had not been the pattern of my life, however. I've tried, with increasing success over the years, to manage my life better, keeping it clear of some of the clutter that tends to bring about those failures.
Each of us can only keep so many balls in the air at one time, when we reach that limit, one falls away. That's been the biggest problem with my failing to follow through. There's also fear of failure--I get part way into something, hit a snag and rather than mess it up entirely just stop and leave it. The third thing, and I'll stop at three, is lack of commitment--it seemed like a good idea at the time, but after a while the thrill is gone.
My methods of dealing with these foibles really are not that difficult.

• I've learned to say NO, usually it's to myself, though sometimes to others. If I don't have the time, I don't have the time. It's that simple. 
• I pick projects with a reasonable chance of success. I'm not a carpenter--I no longer try to build of fix things because I'm never happy with the outcome.
• I count the cost. Is it worth the investment of time, money or other resources.  

This has caused some tough decisions. I really wanted to tinker with old tractors after I retired. Then I realized that it would mean a backyard cluttered with partially torn apart machinery--which would bring about an unhappy wife--or I'd have to build another building.  Not worth it.
I'd like to do some home improvements, my wife would like me to, I'm sure. However, I know my skills with a hammer so I have to wait until I can afford to hire someone. I'd rather it not-done than half-done.
I started the study of the Greek language. The cost is a few hours each week but the benefits are a better understanding of the Bible improving my ability to teach and preach. That's worth the trade off--even if I'll never be that good.
It took many years to get to this point; but I'm happier with myself, and there are probably fewer disappointed people out there.

Writer's Block?

Despite a very busy few weeks, I've started to write a bunch of blog posts--but there it has stopped. There's a Game Warden Files post that just didn't come to life; there's one about unmet expectations and one that's pretty much a written version of a sermon I preached last weekend. Can't seem to get any of them to the point where I can hit the publish button. Yet, people are still checking out the blog.
So, hang on folks, more coming. Hope they're worth the wait.

Game Warden Files--Boys Will Be Boys

"One boy's pretty good; two boys ain't much good; three boys is no good at all." So said my grandfather, a wise man who died back in 1982.  My dad quoted that often, and I've used it even more often than he did, I suspect. This story proves the point about two being "not much good."
It was the opening day of duck season and we came out of the swamps along the Mohawk River in Saratoga County by about 10 AM. It had been an easy day as most of the hunters we encountered had been within the law. A few, however, had given us plenty of opportunity to put pen to paper, so it had been a worthwhile morning. I was headed home to take a quick shower and go watch a good friend of mine take her black belt test...never got there.
I heard the State Police Dispatcher giving a Trooper a complaint about a person having been hit in the eye by a BB or pellet while hunting...right up my ally as that's what's called a hunter related shooting incident and we were obligated to investigate, or at least assist the other agency, in their investigation.
When I contacted the State Police Dispatcher, I was directed to the hospital in Little Falls, where the victim was being taken. Even running red lights, I was a full 40 minutes away and by the time I got there the Trooper was coming out the door and led me from there to yet another hospital in Cooperstown where the victim had been taken for a more comprehensive exam.
The trooper gave me the story as he'd had it. Two cousins, about 14 and 15 years old, had been out in the woods and, according to them, had been shooting at a chipmunk on a stone wall. A BB had ricocheted and struck one of the boys in the eye.  The good news was the boy had no lasting damage in the eye, so after he'd been released from the hospital the Trooper and I took statements from them and tried to make heads or tails out of the stories.
They took us into the woods and showed us where and how it happened, which didn't add up--not even close--to the stories they were telling us. They stuck to their stories despite the facts, and gave written statements to back them up. The parents were useless--also making contradictory statements, though not on paper.  We understood what had happened: they'd been having a BB gun fight in the woods. If they'd been honest about it, that would have been the end of the story, we'd write our reports and go home. Since they couldn't tell it straight, we made it a bigger deal for them
Since it's illegal for anyone under 16 to possess even a BB gun except under certain conditions, each boy, according to law, "must be adjudged a juvenile delinquent." That's the way we wrote it up and sent it up the chain to be dealt with by the juvenile justice system.
Those two boys really weren't much good.

Shared article

This came to me from an unknown source, though the path by which it reached me says much of its origin. 

For my pastor friends, I think you'll find much to encourage you. For my church-going friends, think about these things when you think about your pastors.  

1. I wish I'd known that people who disagree with me on doctrines I hold dearly can often love God and pursue his glory with as much, and in some cases more, fervency than I do. The sort of intellectual pride that fuels such delusions can be devastating to ministry and will invariably undermine any efforts at broader Christian unity across denominational lines.

2. I wish I'd known about the inevitable frustration that comes when you put your trust in what you think are good reasons why people should remain loyal to your ministry and present in your church. I wish I'd been prepared for the feelings of betrayal and disillusionment that came when people in whom I'd personally invested so much love, time, and energy simply walked away, often with the most insubstantial and flimsiest of excuses.

3. I wish I'd known how deeply and incessantly many (most?) people suffer. Having been raised in a truly functional family in which everyone knew Christ and loved one another, I was largely oblivious to the pain endured by most people who've never known that blessing. For too many years I naively assumed that if I wasn't hurting, neither were they. I wish I'd realized the pulpit isn't a place to hide from the problems and pain of one's congregation; it's a place to address, commiserate with, and apply God's Word to them.

4. I wish I'd known the life-changing truth of Zephaniah 3:17 long before Dennis Jernigan introduced me to it. I'm honored when people thank me for writing a particular book with comments such as "This was very helpful" or "You enabled me to see this truth in a new light," or something similar. But of only one book, The Singing God, have people said, "This changed my life." This isn't some vain attempt to sell more books, but a reminder that most Christians (including pastors) are convinced God is either angry or disgusted with them, or both. I wish I'd known earlier how much he enjoys singing over them (and over me).

5. I wish I'd known how much people's response to me would affect my wife. For many years I falsely assumed her skin was as thick as mine. Regardless of a woman's personality, only rarely will she suffer less than him from criticism directed his way.

6. I wish I'd known how vital it is to understand yourself and to be both realistic and humble regarding what you find. Don't be afraid to be an introvert or extrovert (or some mix of the two). Be willing to take steps to compensate for your weaknesses by surrounding yourself with people unlike you, who make up for your deficiencies and challenge you in healthy ways to be honest about what you can and cannot do.

7. I wish I'd known it's possible to be a thoroughly biblical complementarian and to include women in virtually every area of ministry in the local church. In my early years in ministry, I was largely governed by the fear that to permit women into any form of ministry was to cross an imaginary biblical boundary—even though the Bible never imposes any such restriction on their involvement. I tended to make unwarranted applications by extrapolating from explicit principles something either absent or unneccesary. Aside from senior governmental authority in the local church (the role of elder) and the primary responsibility to expound and apply Scripture, is there anything the Bible clearly says is off-limits to females? Trust me, men, we need them far more than we know.

8. I wish I'd known it was okay to talk about money. Don't be afraid to talk about money. Just be sure you're humble and biblical and don't do it with a view to a salary increase for yourself (unless you genuinely and desperately need one). For far too many years I allowed my disdain for prosperity gospel advocates to silence my voice on the importance of financial stewardship in Christian growth and maturity. I didn't formulate a strategy for calling people to lifelong financial generosity without sounding self-serving.

9. I wish I'd known about the delusion of so-called confidentiality. Pity the man who puts his confidence in confidentiality. You can and must control the information that comes to you, but you can never control the information that comes from you. Once information is out and in the hands of others, never assume it will remain there, notwithstanding their most vigorous promises of silence. Be cautious and discerning about to whom you promise confidentiality, under which conditions (it's rarely if ever unconditional), and in regard to what issues and/or individuals. "Sam, you don't appear to have much trust in human nature, do you?" It's not that I don't trust human nature. I'm actually quite terrified of it! What I trust is Scripture's teaching about human nature.

10. I wish I'd known about the destructive effects of insecurity in a pastor. This is less because I've struggled with it and more due to its effect I've seen in others. Why is insecurity so damaging?

• Insecurity makes it difficult to acknowledge and appreciate the accomplishments of others on staff (or in the congregation). In other words, the personally insecure pastor is often incapable of offering genuine encouragement to others. Their success becomes a threat to him, his authority, and his status in the eyes of the people. Thus if you're insecure you likely won't pray for others to flourish.

• Insecurity will lead a pastor to encourage and support and praise another pastor only insofar as the latter serves the former's agenda and doesn't detract from his image.

• An insecure pastor will likely resent the praise or affirmation other staff members receive from the people at large.

• For the insecure pastor, constructive criticism is not received well, but is perceived as a threat or outright rejection.

• Because the insecure pastor is incapable of acknowledging personal failure or lack of knowledge, he's often unteachable. He will resist those who genuinely seek to help him or bring him information or insights he lacks. His spiritual growth is therefore stunted.

• The insecure pastor is typically heavy-handed in his dealings with others.

• The insecure pastor is often controlling and given to micromanagement.

• The insecure pastor rarely empowers or authorizes others to undertake tasks for which they're especially qualified and gifted. He won't release others but rather restrict them.

• The insecure pastor is often given to outbursts of anger.

• At its core, insecurity is the fruit of pride.

In summary, and at its core, insecurity results from not believing the gospel. The antidote to feelings of insecurity, then, is the rock-solid realization that one's value and worth are in the hands of God, not others, and that our identity expresses who we are in Christ. Only as we deepen our grasp of his sacrificial love for us will we find the liberating confidence to affirm and support others without fearing their successes or threats.

Game Warden Files--Compliments

Every person likes to be complimented, law enforcement officers are no different. All such statement are appreciated greatly, but when they come from people in high places--whether delivered privately or publicly--seem to have a special ring to them. If those folks notice, we know that others must also. I've had two such comments in my time.
The first came from a man who was then a prosecutor. He was the Assistant District Attorney who prosecuted my most difficult case ever (see Every Officer Has One of These), and is now a State Supreme Court Judge. Some time after that case, the defendant from that case was a suspect in a crime in another county. The crime was a larceny from the home of one of his friends and was for quite a large amount of money. One other suspect was named also, and the case was never closed.
In talking with that ADA about another matter, that case came up and his comment to me was that if it had happened in his county, he would get me assigned to the case--even though it was not related to the mission of the department--and I would solve if, prove it, and allow him to get a conviction. However, it was not his county, and since the DA in the county of the event hated anything to do with EnCon Officers, I stayed away from it except for offering a couple thoughts to those who did have the case.
The other kind words came from another man who had been the District Attorney (at the time of the above case), and is now a superior court Justice. When he had been the DA, I'd called him because I had a sticky situation: there was an environmental violation on the property of the County Sheriff, and ultimately the legal liability was upon him--a terrible embarrassment to an honorable man. I called to give him a heads up, so that if and when he heard about it, he'd have the facts. We resolve the situation fairly--the contractor responsible for the violation took responsibility--and moved on.
Not long after that, I called him a couple times to run situations by him that involved EnCon law regarding discharging firearms within 500 feet of buildings and on/across public roadways. I wanted give him my read on why I was NOT going to prosecute based upon a principle of necessity of action. He agreed with my reasoning and I closed those cases without charges.
Some years later, I got a call from one of his neighbors--the defendant from Every Officer Has One of These. He complained that the DA had shot a raccoon out of a tree within 500 feet of a house, and possibly from the roadway. I called the DA laughing and reminding him of his previous agreement on my decisions on a couple very similar incidents. The complainant wrote letters of complaint to someone, but they never went anywhere--until this District Attorney was tapped to fill a vacant Superior Court Justice position. It was brought up, explained, and the rest is history.
When I retired, this judge came to my party and asked to speak. Higher words of praise for my professional behavior I've never received. He told the story of our many dealings and said that it didn't matter who you were, when I was involved the law was the law, and people were always treated fairly.