January 4, 2012

I hauled out my new 2012 calendar not long ago. Of course, because of  what I do for a living a lot of it gets filled out quickly, but even so, I was impressed by all the blank days to come in the new year that do not have any thing written on them. In many ways 2012 is uncharted territory, time that is undetermined and days that are undesignated. Easter is April 8 (so I know what I’ll be doing then), the church Fish Fry is May 5 (I always look forward to that), the 4^th of July is on a Wednesday this year (it seems to work better in the middle of the week), Christmas is on Tuesday this year (thank goodness – it was difficult having it on a Sunday), etc.

It struck me that I know very little about the blank days ahead besides the major ones outlined already. Don’t know when I’ll feel bad, when I’ll get the flu or have a headache, when disappointment or depression will strike, which days will be happy or when my ship will come in (I’ll probably be at the airport whenever that is). It doesn’t yet say when my car will break down, when one of my kids and I will have words, or what great accomplishment I will achieve on what day. There’s no indication when someone I love very much may become seriously ill or even die, or when I’ll make a new friend that will brighten my life for many days to come.

There’s not much on my calendar for 2012 yet, but there’s something I can assume about the whole year. I could write over every space, every hour, minute, day of the year to come, that “God Loves Me”. In fact, if I wrote that all over every day of this year, if I could remember that every morning as I get up, if I would write it on my bathroom mirror to see before I even look at my calendar for the day, I would undoubtedly find that whatever takes place this year would be OK. “This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” — Psalm 118:24

Gary

December 14, 2011

Dr. Luke records the story of the angels announcing the good news of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds. It must have been a spectacular announcement because it scared the shepherds silly (I think it says they were ”sore afraid.” Have you ever been so scared that it hurts?). Besides the spectacle of the announcement, the amazing thing to me is what the shepherds did after they regained their composure. They said to each other, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass.” And they went.

It’s an amazing reaction to me, because of the way we normally treat such good news as that. They didn’t say, “Aw, you know there’s gonna be a crowd and we’ll probably have to stand in line for something this important.” They didn’t say, “Man, you know the people who own these sheep are gonna be mad if we go traipsin’ off to Bethlehem and leave their sheep out here on the hillside unguarded.” They didn’t say, “You know, if it’s that big a deal they won’t let us in to see it ’cause we’re not good enough to see such a thing – we smell bad and look worse.” They didn’t question or doubt the authenticity of the message or the authority of the messengers. They just dropped everything and went.

Even today, knowing what we know of this story from Luke, believing as we do that it is true, we have trouble doing the same thing. We go to a lot of trouble to shop for unique gifts, buy and send beautiful cards wishing everyone a “Merry Christmas,” and even spend hours decorating our homes for the season. But we so easily forget what the message says and dismiss our own part in it. We get so distracted that we forget to go to the manger and see the savior of the world. We allow the festivities to keep us away from the kind of humble, kneeling posture by which the shepherds accessed the good news for themselves. They went to the manger to witness firsthand the evidence of God’s love poured out for everyone. Thoughtful meditation, prayer, and other worship activities are our way of going to “see this thing that has come to pass.” In church, at home, on your way to the Christmas events, let you life be touched by the message God sends to the whole world. If you don’t go to the manger, God just wasted a great angelic concert.

Gary

November 2, 2011

Whew! Like the Presbyterian who fell down the steps said, after dusting himself off, “I’m glad that’s over”. I’m so glad to be back among the working poor, slaving away in the spiritual dungeons of the church office. It’s a tough job but somebody’s gotta do it. (By the way, thanks Ken, Chris, and Kim for all the extra hard work keeping things going while I was gone.)

In some ways I don’t even know where to begin. We usually work our way into the Fall calendar, ratcheting up the intensity over a few weeks so we don’t get overwhelmed by a sudden rush of activity. What I’m facing now is like going from 0 – 60 in 3.1 seconds. I must be patient with myself and so must you.

There’s a question we ask each other every year in December: “You ready for Christmas?” I can assure you I already know the answer now I’ll be giving then: “Nope, not even close!” Hey, I’m not even ready for Halloween and it just went by. (Wore the same old costume I wore last year. And like last year trick-or-treating, got the same rocks like Charlie Brown.)

Thank you all for the grace with which you have handled my recent illness. Your food, gifts, prayers, cards, calls, and words of encouragement were all precious gifts to lift our spirits. The Bryants are grateful for the love you demonstrated in every way you touched our lives. We may not be ready for Christmas, but we are very ready for Thanksgiving.

Gary     

October 5, 2011

The Pawpaw: Foraging for America’s Forgotten Fruit

by Allison Aubrey (from NPR’s Food Blog, “the SALT”)

So what the heck is a pawpaw?

Recently, I heard about a secret snack. Kayakers who paddle the waters near Washington, D.C., told me about a mango-like fruit that grows along the banks of the Potomac — a speckled and homely skin that hides a tasty treat.

A tropical-like fruit here, really? Yep. It’s the only temperate member of a tropical family of trees. You can’t buy the pawpaw in stores, so for years, the only way to eat them was straight from the tree.

I was intrigued. So I decided to hunt for a pawpaw myself.

D.C. nature guide Matt Cohen showed me how to find them.

We took the Billy Goat Trail on the Maryland side of the Potomac River. “Wow,” was the first word out of my mouth when I tasted one we found on our hike. It’s sort of mango-meets-the-banana … with a little hint of melon.

Although you may not have heard of it, the pawpaw has quite a history. Thomas Jefferson had pawpaws at Monticello. And when he was minister to France in 1786, he had pawpaw seeds shipped over to friends there. He probably wanted to impress his friends with something exotic from America.

Lewis and Clark wrote in their journals that they were quite fond of the pawpaw. At one point during their expedition in 1806, they relied on pawpaws when other provisions ran low. And from Michigan to West Virginia, people have even named towns and lakes after the pawpaw.

But the pawpaw has only recently been commercialized. That’s one reason you don’t see it in the grocery store. So far, there are just a few orchards selling to farmers markets. This progress is largely thanks to the work of plant scientist Neal Peterson.

He has spent the past 35 years breeding the pawpaw to make it look and taste more like a fruit we’d buy. He has selected and grown varieties that are bigger, with more flesh.

After tasting his first wild pawpaw 35 years ago, he had a eureka moment.

“It was just a revelation,” he says. Peterson thought that the pawpaw was every bit the rival of a perfect peach or apple — fruits that have had thousands of years of breeding.

Why hadn’t someone done this with the pawpaw? “I could just instantly make that leap of imagination,” he says.

And some three decades later, he has a lot to show for it. His pawpaws are being grown in a few orchards and sold at farmers markets.

And now it’s moving beyond novelty. A food scientist at Ohio University, Rob Brannan, is interested in studying the nutrients in the pawpaw. So far, he has published one study that found the antioxidant count in the fruit to be pretty high.

“It’s about the same as a cranberry” or a cherry, Brannan says.

If scientists could put a “health halo” over the pawpaw, Brannan says, it would give the fruit a commercial boost. It’s happened before. Pomegranate juice, anyone?

“Yum — wonderful flavor,” Joan Foster said after tasting her first pawpaw at the Olney Farm Market recently. She has been waiting a long time to try one. They’re only available a few weeks out of the year — and this year’s pawpaw season is just about over.

So if you’re intrigued, come back again tomorrow for a few tips on where you can find pawpaw beer, pawpaw sorbet…and pawpaw recipes.

August 24, 2011

Have you noticed there are more yard sales in our community? eBay and Craigslist are full of items people are willing to sell. Many homes are offered at rock bottom prices in classified ads in newspapers, some even offered at a loss. Many are selling off jewelry and other precious items that they wouldn’t have thought of selling a few months or years ago. You name it, and someone is selling it somewhere. Everything seems to be negotiable.

Historically, people have often offered their treasures to the highest bidder but it seems to me that current economics are pushing us into such a climate that we are becoming reckless with what we have and who we are. The “oldest profession” is thriving as many are willing to sell their bodies for cash. In some quarters people are willing to sell their children and there is a growing list of women who are willing to be surrogate mothers by offering their wombs to provide children for those who are not able to do it for themselves. Some are willing to sell drugs to satisfy someone else’s addiction, and often find that the easy money provided can be addicting itself. Literature and life even witness to the practice of some who are willing to sell their souls to the devil for more success in getting what they want.

Every day, people go to work and take advantage of customers in order to keep a job they know is dishonest. An illicit affair tempts lots of us to risk the loss of precious relationships, to experience the momentary satisfaction of a pleasurable activity. In fact, most of us have, at one time or another, in one way or another, sold out to something. We have been paying for it since.

In the Bible there are many illustrations of such desperation. Adam and Eve ate the apple, Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of stew, David had to have Bathsheba, etc. Only Jesus stands out as one who would not sell out what was precious to him. He wouldn’t take the Devil’s bait, would not take the easy way, would not compromise his Father’s will for his own comfort and convenience.

I know times are tough. I also know God values us enough that He is willing to accept those of us who have sold out and learned to regret it. Our value to God is about our willingness to accept our failures and submit to His grace – to learn how to make better choices and discern what is truly priceless.

Gary

August 10, 2011

When you’re on vacation you have some time to think (I know, it is a dangerous thing). While on my vacation last month I spent valuable time wondering why there are always so many things I am not able to finish or get done at all. You try your best to get everyone visited that needs it, everything written (letter, e-mails, sermons, etc.), everything that needs doing, done. Then there’s family stuff – taking care of spouse requests, contacting larger family members, keeping up with kids, grandkids, and friends. The house, the yard, the truck or car that needs attention, all clutter up your to-do list. Personal medical issues require attention. Taking time to exercise, play, and rest are difficult to fit in. There’s just more to do than anyone can possibly get done on time with proper effort. It is such a frustrating and time consuming thing to get it all accomplished.

People who retire soon report that they don’t see how they ever had time to work before. No one that I know has ever reported to me that they had done everything to their satisfaction. No person in history has ever been able to say, “It is finished,” except Jesus. So why should any of us expect to be the exception and get it all done.

Maybe the genetic scientists are on to something. Maybe we could be “cloned”. We have the technology, so why not? Come to think of it, here are several reasons why we shouldn’t do that:

1. If I know my wife, and I do, she would want Gary ^#1 for a particular thing, not Gary ^#2 or ^#3.

2. Some folks would want the real preacher to visit them instead of one of the subs (as they would call them).

3. The lists would just get longer, the phone calls more demanding, and the jobs more difficult.

4. etc., etc., etc.

Somehow I think I will just have to continue making choices, some of them the wrong ones. Only God can be everywhere at once with all his faculties fully engaged at each place. So everybody get prepared to see Gary passing by, doing the wrong thing, at the wrong time, in the wrong place, but looking very busy and fully engaged as he goes at it with everything he has. It will have to do because there’s only one of me.

Gary

June 29, 2011

It was very irritating to people in Jesus’ day (including his disciples) that Jesus often disappeared for periods of time. They would find him resting, meditating, praying. Those periods of refreshment were critical to his ability to carry on his mission and meet the needs of those whom he served. His ability to function as a leader was tied to his physical, mental, and spiritual health. Even though it meant he was unavailable for a while, he apparently found he could not accomplish the tasks he had to do without significant time away.

If Jesus needed such rest and relaxation, surely your Pastor does. I’m much less prepared and have many fewer resources than he. It is important to me and the ministry of this church that I take time to rehab my body, mind, and spirit. That’s why I take Fridays off each week and why the church graciously gives me four weeks vacation each year. I find it is beneficial to me to take all my vacation at one time, which allows me to clear my head and enjoy the company of my family on various adventures or just resting at home. So for most of July, it will be hard for you to find me. I hope you understand and realize the benefit for our church to have a rested Pastor in place of an exhausted one. Should you need pastoral services, call the office (704-392-0329) and one of our other staff members or a Session representative will attempt to meet your needs. I will be in touch with the office and will of course respond to emergency situations, should they occur.

I am grateful to the Session and congregation for the opportunity to get away. Thank you for understanding that this time is important for my spirit. See you soon.

 Gary     

 P.S. My vacation begins on Monday, July 4^th.

June 15, 2011

Yes, it’s been 30 years since this wet-behind-the-ears Pastor set foot on Paw Creek soil. In that time, you have taught me important lessons about what it’s like to lead a church. Hear are some things I have learned:

• Most people are much more forgiving of you than you are of yourself.
• Two may be able to tango, but somebody has to start the dance and take the first step.
• The most important lessons about life are discovered as you bounce along on the seat of your pants instead of when you think you know what you’re doing.
• If you are willing (like Moses) to stand out and hold up the staff, eventually someone will notice your arms are tired and volunteer to help.
• People are more obstinate when they’re afraid than when they’re comfortable – that’s what the “fear of the Lord” is for.
• Sermons are meant to be lived, not spoken.
• Don’t ever let yesterday’s accomplishments keep you from facing today’s agenda – the best is always yet to come.
• At the end of the day, you won’t have it all done and finished – go home anyway (there’s a whole other agenda happening there).
• You are tempted to think that you have been successful when everyone’s smiling – the truth is they may be amused at the dumb thing you just said or did.
• It is easier and more rewarding to serve other people than to allow them to serve you.
• When you feel the least prepared, you may be the most prepared for God to work through you.

And finally, a lesson I saw on a needlepoint hanging on Robert James’ wall at his Presbytery office (a rabbit speaking to you as three little cottontails disappear over the horizon):

“I must go, for there they go, and I am their leader.”

I have to quit this, the phone is ringing.

Gary

June 1, 2011

“LET IT GO!” Those are not our favorite words nor the sentiment we like to hear at important times in our lives. When we’ve been hurt by something someone said or did, we don’t want to hear that. When life has punched us in the gut, that’s not what we want to see happen. When we are disappointed by some actin that we cannot control, we want some divine retribution. When we feel we’ve been wronged, we want things to be made right.

A nursery rhyme comes to mind:
Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep
and can’t tell where where to find them.
Leave them alone and they’ll come home,
dragging their tails behind them.

Sometimes the wisest thing we can do is to leave things alone and trust God to work them out. Sometimes we have to let things go. As a passage from Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.”

I think that means we are called as people of Got to concern ourselves with keeping our lives in a trusting relationship with Him, that enables us to commit our lives into His care, and not assume that we have all the answers to life nor that we possess the only valid interpretation of His will.

So what do we do when someone hurts us, when some action by the church or the government, or some individual seems to be an affront to our welfare, when life deals us a bad hand that infuriates us. Jesus said in Matthew 13:24-30 that the kingdom of Heaven is a place where wheat and tares are allowed to grow together until the harvest, when they will be separated and dealt with. It isn’t our job to decide who’s in, who’s out; what’s fair, what isn’t; what’s right, what’s wrong. God is perfectly capable of making those decisions and it is His job to do so. Maybe that’s a whole different take on the passage from Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” Maybe we don’t need to protect Him as much as we need to trust Him. After all, how do we know we aren’t one of the sheep that has gone astray, or one of the tares that needs separating? “Your will be done, in Earth, as it is in Heaven,” (whether or not I agree with it or like it). Amen.

Gary

May 18, 2011

We all have boundaries. When we’re small children those fences are set by parents. As we grow up, teachers, friends, other family members, and even policemen join our parents to put up walls that keep us from doing dangerous things. By the time we’re teenagers we start singing, “Don’t Fence Me In!” We want our freedom and we want it now! We see fences as holding us back – others see them as positive influences that keep us from getting out of control and destroying ourselves and others. Too much freedom can get us into serious trouble. But none of us like boundaries that impose restrictions on us from outside.

The Apostle Paul understood how even the best of us will push boundaries and make serious errors in decision-making. “For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate…wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7: 15, 24). Without some fences and guardrails we will all make poor decisions. It could be said of any of us multiple times, “What were you thinking?” It could, in fact, be said to all of us, no matter our age or experience, that the boundaries God and others have set for us are good for us and should not be ignored. Most of us with any age on us have several “wincing” memories that make us shudder at how stupid we were when we did those things. It is the accumulation of all those mistakes that keeps many of us from doing what we otherwise might. Like invisible dog fencing (the fence is invisible, not the dog), we have learned the hard way to not go there.

Kari Myers said, “It may be that some things in life that frustrate and prevent us from fulfilling our dreams are actually placed there by God for a reason. Could it be that some mountains are not meant to be moved? Some doors are not meant to be pried open. We may feel they hem us in, but perhaps they are there to help us stay on the path to God’s perfect will for our lives.”

Why not learn to enjoy the fences? Plant some flowers along the walls. The grass really isn’t greener over there. It’s a visual mirage.

Gary