Beer Tasting

My step father is not happy with Anheuser-Busch, INC. This is the same man whose CB handle in the 70's was "Budman." After he retired he switched to Michelob and really enjoyed the Premium Lager. Well no that Anheuser-Busch, INC. is no longer American owned he wants to permanently switch again. So, we are here taste testing several different beers, and yes we have to suffer tasting MGD, the weakest and most watery of the bunch. Feel sorry for us as we have to finish off the six pack.

Thus far we have tasted Molson Canadian, Michelob, MGD. Future tests will include, Sam Adams, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Miller High Life, Leinenkugel, Blatz, Coors, Schlitz, Labatt's Blue and Stroh's.

We have not scheduled the tasting event as of yet.

Jabez was gay.

I didn't make it to church on June 22. Apparently Pastor Mark preached on the fallacies of the Jabez prayer literature. I never even heard of it until he said something about it. So, I looked it up in the Bible. Jabez's name means "Ouch!" He was large and caused his mother a lot pain when he was born. No father is mentioned, which means he was a fatherless child. There is no mention of a wife. He prays for a larger farm and for protection from harm. I think the man was a homosexual. He needed a larger border and safety to keep from getting killed. He was an abnormal in many ways. large, single and frightened. So, today, I think he would be seen as a gay farmer. I know that isn't what the book about the Jabez prayer is all about, but think of the twist this brings to that gospel of prosperity.

Synod Assembly

Well, I made it look easy, I guess. The congregation applauded when I was done and I received several compliments on the report. I was at Synod Assembly for three days and two nights. I listened to three speakers and three pastors. Although I took notes, the speeches and the sermons become mingled and blended in my mind. I had several meaningful conversations and my friends gave me encouragement and through their love for me, God directly blessed me.
And then comes the challenge. How do I condense all of it into a five minute report at the end of the worship service immediately before the dismissal?
Fortunately, I took notes while the speakers were speaking and pastors were preaching. This helped me retain the thrust of each message and I was able to see the common thread that linked everything together, The message was for all congregations to be a public church. I then built on what they said and lifted one or two of their sentences and raised it before the Peace Lutheran Congregation.
This is how it came out.

I stand before you with the challenge of condensing three days of Synod Assembly into a five-minute presentation. The repeated message we received was a challenge to be the Public Church. This was visually clear to us on opening night with an event called The Festival. Rather than having Workshop Sessions as in the past, this was a celebration of New and Renewing Missions in our Synod. I will touch on three of these. Trinity Lutheran in Hillsdale still supports the homeless and working poor with a community food pantry called Kings Kupbord. Trinity Lutheran in Battle Creek keeps their doors open everyday with a buzz of activity in their participation of the Joint-Religious Organizing Network for Action and Hope (JONAH). In Saginaw, all eight ELCA congregations formed the Saginaw Metro Ministries, which support a food pantry, kitchen, and youth center in Saginaw.

The Rev. Dr Cheryl Peterson, who teaches Systematic Theology at Trinity Seminary in Ohio, spoke to us on the theme, “On Earth as in Heaven.” She urged us all to seriously consider the words we use in the Lord’s Prayer every Sunday, “Your Will be done,” and to think of how God breaks into our lives. We, the Church have a mission to break into the lives in our community. She ended her sessions with these words. God has a mission and His mission has a Church.

Andrew (Drew) Genszler, Director of the Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs challenged us with this additional perspective, that perhaps it is all our “stuff” that keeps us from focusing mission before us, Every speaker and pastor who preached, reiterated our Synod’s mission statement: Marked with the cross of Christ forever, we are claimed, gathered and sent for the sake of the world.

It took me about a half hour to write my report as I reflected on what I heard and what I should say. Perhaps it was easier for me to do, than for someone else. If that is the case then indeed I have a gift and I used it in a small way to benefit Peace Lutheran. I do not attend Synod Assembly with an agenda. I go their and empty myself of my ego. I see and listen and find information that will apply to the activities already happening at Peace Lutheran. The only agenda I set for myself, if that is what it is called, is to be present and participate.

WOW!

Talk about the proverbial wake up call! I know that I can write pretty well, and I am pretty good speaker as well. I could never believe that I have the gift to preach. I always thought that God reserved the gift of preaching to those who are ordained ministers, and I would never be able to preach ever again. I received an A- on the Introduction to Preaching class I took ten years ago at Western Theological Seminary. Upon hearing that my friend Barbara told me that was 10 years too long. I was honored to preach at Extended Grace in Grand Haven and I made sure that I told the 12 people who were there that it was indeed an honor and privilege to preach to them. I did not take it lightly at all.

Today at the Bible Study class ,after the worship service, my pastor asked me to share with the class what I knew about the Hilkiah and Jeremiah. He knew what I knew because of the sermon I preached at Extended Grace. I e-mailed him a copy of my sermon.

Now what do I do? I did something and it has been affirmed. A true wake up call.

You're a Raccoon in the wild world of love.

What's Your Animal Magnetism?
Brought to you by Tickle

Sunday

I finally gave home communion to the Jenny, an elderly woman in a nursing home. Her son, Bob, and my friend came with me. It was a real delight. Church was really good, today. I assisted, although I forgot that I was supposed to. I didn't sing the Kyrie, I spoke it. I just couldn't sing it and I didn't want to fail in the attempt when I could speak it in a more meaningful way.

I got home and helped Lori clean the house. My mom and step-dad were coming to visit on their way home from Boyne.

The day would have been boring by most standards, but I felt like I was busy and productive. I truly felt useful today. I went grocery shopping with Lori and Evan and Nathan. I cooked dinner, tacos and not very difficult at all, and I mowed the lawn.

I talked to my friend Deb. It always feels good to talk to a friend. I transcribed Pastor Mark's sermon. Although it has been a quiet day, I did get some things accomplished, and my mom and step-dad got to see the bathroom they paid for.

Friday night we went to the Harry Potter party at Barnes & Noble. We were there at midnight and had our Copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by 12:30am. I went to work on Saturday and slept most of the afternoon. We had pasta and meatballs for dinner.

Tired today.

I don't know if it because I didn't sleep well last night or if it because I haven't been taking walks like a should. I feel like a hypnotist is saying, "you are getting sleepy....sleepy."

Soon, I will be off to bed, but I wanted to share my adventure in grilling chicken halves.

Lori bought four chicken halves on sale at Meijer. I thought grilling them would be a lot like grilling chicken pieces, mainly get the grill really hot then put the chicken on and turn the grill down and let it cook slowly. It started out fine but then got really rough. After I put the chicken on I went to get my book, The Da Vinci Legacy, and finished a chapter.

The smoke was rising thick out of the grill and I checked the chicken. The fat was dripping on the burner covers causing flames to shoot out above the grill rack. I moved them around but the flames continued to burn the chicken skin. I put all four pieces on the top rack but the flames continued to rise for awhile.

I turned them, watched them and finally they looked like they were cooked and I brought them in. The outside meat was white, but the inside was still a bloody reddish pink. Except for the most burnt piece that was actually cooked nicely, the chicken was just too raw to eat.

I microwaved some of it so it was edible but not very tasty. This was my first grilling disaster of the year. I was really upset with it. I don't know where I went wrong. Lori said she won't get that kind again because it is too difficult to grill.

Oh well, at least the kids ate something. Evan was the best and cut his own chicken and ate two legs and a wing.