Dennis Camplin
Wednesday, December 24, 2003
I got this from the writings of Ken Gire.
An Intimate Moment with Mary and Joseph
A scream from Mary knifes through the calm of the silent night.
Joseph returns, breathless, water sloshing from the wooden bucket. The top of the baby's head has already pushed its way into the world. Sweat pours from Mary's contorted face as Joseph, the most unlikely midwife in all Judea, rushed to her side.
The involuntary contractions are not enough, and Mary has to push with all her strength, almost as if God were refusing to come in the world without her help.
Joseph places a garment beneath her and with a final push and a long sigh, her labor is over.
The Messiah has arrived.
Elongated head from the constricting journey through the birth canal. Light skin, as the pigment would take days for even weeks to surface. Mucus in his ear and nostrils. Wet and slippery from the amniotic fluid. The son of the most High God umbilically tied to a lowly Jewish girl.
The baby chokes and coughs. Joseph instinctively turns him over and clears his throat
Then he cries.
Mary bares her breast and reaches for the shivering baby. She lays him on her chest and his helpless cries subside. His tiny head bobs around on the unfamiliar terrain. This will be the first thing the infant-king learns. Mary can feel his racing heartbeat as he gropes to nurse.
Deity nursing from a young maiden's breast. Could anything be more puzzling or more profound?
¶ 2:27 PM 0 comments
An Intimate Moment with Mary and Joseph
A scream from Mary knifes through the calm of the silent night.
Joseph returns, breathless, water sloshing from the wooden bucket. The top of the baby's head has already pushed its way into the world. Sweat pours from Mary's contorted face as Joseph, the most unlikely midwife in all Judea, rushed to her side.
The involuntary contractions are not enough, and Mary has to push with all her strength, almost as if God were refusing to come in the world without her help.
Joseph places a garment beneath her and with a final push and a long sigh, her labor is over.
The Messiah has arrived.
Elongated head from the constricting journey through the birth canal. Light skin, as the pigment would take days for even weeks to surface. Mucus in his ear and nostrils. Wet and slippery from the amniotic fluid. The son of the most High God umbilically tied to a lowly Jewish girl.
The baby chokes and coughs. Joseph instinctively turns him over and clears his throat
Then he cries.
Mary bares her breast and reaches for the shivering baby. She lays him on her chest and his helpless cries subside. His tiny head bobs around on the unfamiliar terrain. This will be the first thing the infant-king learns. Mary can feel his racing heartbeat as he gropes to nurse.
Deity nursing from a young maiden's breast. Could anything be more puzzling or more profound?
¶ 2:27 PM 0 comments
Friday, December 19, 2003
This week has been rather 'flat' for me. So flat, in fact, that I wondered if I was going to be able to come up with a sermon that fits the theme of this fourth Sunday of Advent with the candle of Salvation.
However, the breakthrough came yesterday and I have made good progress on preparations for Sunday.
Next week we will have a Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve -- which I look forward to as well. However, the Sunday following is not really in my scope at this point.
Today the staff got together over lunch to share a meal. We bid "good-bye" to Eric La France and Bruce Wendel. Eric has been on staff at MJFMM (Moose Jaw Free Methodist Ministries) for a few years now and he will continue involvement in House of ROC as it launches into a church plant. Bruce has been on staff for the past year as a student intern -- a program that completes at the end of the month.
Tonight First Church sponsors and hosts a community Christmas dinner. As I viewed the dining area it is truly a beautiful welcoming sight. This evening is part of a monthly ministry that is called "Community Lunch." It truly is an outreach to less fortunate people in our community. I am so grateful to Gail Stevens and a whole crew of people in the church who make this happen.
¶ 4:40 PM 0 comments
However, the breakthrough came yesterday and I have made good progress on preparations for Sunday.
Next week we will have a Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve -- which I look forward to as well. However, the Sunday following is not really in my scope at this point.
Today the staff got together over lunch to share a meal. We bid "good-bye" to Eric La France and Bruce Wendel. Eric has been on staff at MJFMM (Moose Jaw Free Methodist Ministries) for a few years now and he will continue involvement in House of ROC as it launches into a church plant. Bruce has been on staff for the past year as a student intern -- a program that completes at the end of the month.
Tonight First Church sponsors and hosts a community Christmas dinner. As I viewed the dining area it is truly a beautiful welcoming sight. This evening is part of a monthly ministry that is called "Community Lunch." It truly is an outreach to less fortunate people in our community. I am so grateful to Gail Stevens and a whole crew of people in the church who make this happen.
¶ 4:40 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, December 17, 2003
This is hilarious!
Jordon posted this site briefly on his blog a couple of days ago.
The facts are that we (Free Methodist Church) would have a number of candidates who would qualify! However, among the present Board of Bishops of the Free Methodist Church in North America, at least one is a runner and the others are pretty disciplined. ¶ 1:35 PM 0 comments
Jordon posted this site briefly on his blog a couple of days ago.
The facts are that we (Free Methodist Church) would have a number of candidates who would qualify! However, among the present Board of Bishops of the Free Methodist Church in North America, at least one is a runner and the others are pretty disciplined. ¶ 1:35 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
Eugene Peterson provides a lot of challenge in this article in November's edition of The Christian Century.
In that article he says "Only when we do the Jesus truth in the Jesus way do we get the Jesus life."
If you are the type of person who looks for instant results you will likely be disappointed in what Peterson says. He says, "The contemplative life, growing towards congruence, is slow work. It cannot be hurried. It is also urgent work and cannot be put off...In the American way, slow and urgent are not compatable. They cancel one another out. But in the Christian way they are joined together. Urgent as this is, there is no hurry... There are no shortcuts to becoming the persons we're created to be."
This reminds me of the first time that I tried to run a marathon ( I completed half!) Because I was a pastor in that town I was invited to say a prayer at the beginning of the race. Along the course, a man who was much older than I passed me. He obviously could see that I did not have the training base that I needed. As he passed he said, "There are no shortcuts in this business."
This Sunday I plan to preach on the gift of salvation that we celebrate on this fourth Sunday of Advent. "Salvation" is such a big word as it includes all that Jesus brings to us.
On one hand I should be discouraged that, at age 63 ,I feel that I am just beginning to catch on to this stuff of spiritual maturity. On the other hand I am greatly encouraged that I am on the journey and at least to some extent am able to identify with the congruency that Peterson is talking about in his article.
¶ 11:01 AM 0 comments
In that article he says "Only when we do the Jesus truth in the Jesus way do we get the Jesus life."
If you are the type of person who looks for instant results you will likely be disappointed in what Peterson says. He says, "The contemplative life, growing towards congruence, is slow work. It cannot be hurried. It is also urgent work and cannot be put off...In the American way, slow and urgent are not compatable. They cancel one another out. But in the Christian way they are joined together. Urgent as this is, there is no hurry... There are no shortcuts to becoming the persons we're created to be."
This reminds me of the first time that I tried to run a marathon ( I completed half!) Because I was a pastor in that town I was invited to say a prayer at the beginning of the race. Along the course, a man who was much older than I passed me. He obviously could see that I did not have the training base that I needed. As he passed he said, "There are no shortcuts in this business."
This Sunday I plan to preach on the gift of salvation that we celebrate on this fourth Sunday of Advent. "Salvation" is such a big word as it includes all that Jesus brings to us.
On one hand I should be discouraged that, at age 63 ,I feel that I am just beginning to catch on to this stuff of spiritual maturity. On the other hand I am greatly encouraged that I am on the journey and at least to some extent am able to identify with the congruency that Peterson is talking about in his article.
¶ 11:01 AM 0 comments
Friday, December 12, 2003
According to Gothamist I am doing most everything wrong in posting to this blog. I normally check a number of blogs each day and I notice that a lot of others are not meeting the standards of Gothamist as well.
That being said, I have to say that I appreciate blogs like Jordon’s because they become a good source of a wide range of information – including the current state of his health!
As far as I am concerned, I do well to get something posted and always I pass on something that is of interest to me even if it is just a link to another site.
A couple of weeks ago I ran a 5k race with over 900 other runners. I was amused at some of the comments from those who were volunteering at major intersections along the route. At one point, one of these guys must have been trying to encourage me with the words, “Keep breathing!” I don’t know if I looked that close to death or not – but I did finish the run in fairly good form.
On this blogging scene, I will be lucky to “Keep blogging!” whether I stick by the rules or not.
¶ 9:48 AM 0 comments
That being said, I have to say that I appreciate blogs like Jordon’s because they become a good source of a wide range of information – including the current state of his health!
As far as I am concerned, I do well to get something posted and always I pass on something that is of interest to me even if it is just a link to another site.
A couple of weeks ago I ran a 5k race with over 900 other runners. I was amused at some of the comments from those who were volunteering at major intersections along the route. At one point, one of these guys must have been trying to encourage me with the words, “Keep breathing!” I don’t know if I looked that close to death or not – but I did finish the run in fairly good form.
On this blogging scene, I will be lucky to “Keep blogging!” whether I stick by the rules or not.
¶ 9:48 AM 0 comments
Monday, December 08, 2003
Sunday, December 07, 2003
Rev. Wade Fitzpatrick appointed Senior Pastor at First Free Methodist Church, Moose Jaw.
The appointment letter from Bishop Elford was read in the congregation this morning. The effective date of transition is April 19, 2004.
This completes the good work of the Pastoral Leadership Task Force that has worked the process leading to the recommendation that Pastor Wade become the pastoral leader for the next chapter of ministry for this congregation. ¶ 9:26 PM 0 comments
The appointment letter from Bishop Elford was read in the congregation this morning. The effective date of transition is April 19, 2004.
This completes the good work of the Pastoral Leadership Task Force that has worked the process leading to the recommendation that Pastor Wade become the pastoral leader for the next chapter of ministry for this congregation. ¶ 9:26 PM 0 comments
Saturday, December 06, 2003
A quote from George Barna in Think Like Jesus
"...postmodernism challenges much but answers little."
¶ 9:39 PM 0 comments
"...postmodernism challenges much but answers little."
¶ 9:39 PM 0 comments
Thom S. Rainer on Good to Great Churches -- pastor tenure
My research team has been monitoring the length of time pastors stay at churches over the past decade. We have come to some very clear conclusions. First, by almost any standard, pastoral tenure is brief. Though the average tenure is almost five years now — its highest in several years — our team realizes that many pastors and ministers need that long just to establish trust.
Second, we also see the clear pattern that the most common point of departure for a pastor is in years three to five of his ministry. And the most common reason given for leaving a church is some type of conflict.
Third, by most of the measures we know to use, and by our own subjective observations, the most productive years of a pastor’s ministry typically begin after years seven or eight. Yet only 14 percent of pastors stay at a church for 10 or more years.
Greatness Takes Time
By now you can see where this analysis is headed. If a pastor is to have truly productive years of ministry, he most likely needs to plan on staying at a church for 10 years to a lifetime. But, primarily because of conflict, very few pastors will ever make it to these fruitful years. Most will continue to search for the elusive better, and perhaps bigger, church.
All of the good to great pastors we studied have been at their churches for over 10 years. All of them went through some type of conflict, but they decided to stay with the church. The other side of the conflict would then usher in the truly productive years.
¶ 9:26 PM 0 comments
My research team has been monitoring the length of time pastors stay at churches over the past decade. We have come to some very clear conclusions. First, by almost any standard, pastoral tenure is brief. Though the average tenure is almost five years now — its highest in several years — our team realizes that many pastors and ministers need that long just to establish trust.
Second, we also see the clear pattern that the most common point of departure for a pastor is in years three to five of his ministry. And the most common reason given for leaving a church is some type of conflict.
Third, by most of the measures we know to use, and by our own subjective observations, the most productive years of a pastor’s ministry typically begin after years seven or eight. Yet only 14 percent of pastors stay at a church for 10 or more years.
Greatness Takes Time
By now you can see where this analysis is headed. If a pastor is to have truly productive years of ministry, he most likely needs to plan on staying at a church for 10 years to a lifetime. But, primarily because of conflict, very few pastors will ever make it to these fruitful years. Most will continue to search for the elusive better, and perhaps bigger, church.
All of the good to great pastors we studied have been at their churches for over 10 years. All of them went through some type of conflict, but they decided to stay with the church. The other side of the conflict would then usher in the truly productive years.
¶ 9:26 PM 0 comments
Friday, December 05, 2003
There is a point in everyone's life when we either go with what we think is right or what we think is popular.
¶ 9:33 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, December 03, 2003
A lot of stuff has happened since I last blogged:
1. A new grandson, Jonathon Dennis Lysack was born November 20 in Brandon.
2. I conducted a JDPAS with the Timmins Church in Sudbury.
3. I attended the National Board of The Free Methodist Church in Canada.
4. I ran a 5 km event (Tim Horton's Jingle Bell Run) in Burlington.
5. I actually preached one Sunday in Moose Jaw. ¶ 7:41 PM 0 comments
1. A new grandson, Jonathon Dennis Lysack was born November 20 in Brandon.
2. I conducted a JDPAS with the Timmins Church in Sudbury.
3. I attended the National Board of The Free Methodist Church in Canada.
4. I ran a 5 km event (Tim Horton's Jingle Bell Run) in Burlington.
5. I actually preached one Sunday in Moose Jaw. ¶ 7:41 PM 0 comments
