Shepastor: "Lessons From Ants, Badgers and Lizards..."

Proverbs 30:24-28, RSV

24 Four things on earth are small,
but they are exceedingly wise:
25 the ants are a people not strong,
yet they provide their food in the summer;
26 the badgers are a people not mighty,
yet they make their homes in the rocks;
27 the locusts have no king,
yet all of them march in rank;
28 the lizard you can take in your hands,
yet it is in kings’ palaces.


This week’s focus: “Lessons from the Ant…”

Proverbs 6:6-8, KJV

6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

Verses 7-8 in the Living Bible say it this way…

7 For though they have no king to make them work, 8 yet they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.

The necessity of internal motivation…

Have you ever watched ants work? I can remember as a little girl being so fascinated in the summer months, watching black ants on the side walk coming together to carry small crumbs to their ant hills. The crumbs that appeared so small to me, seemed huge to them. I watched as their little legs moved and struggled to carry a crumb, undeterred, undaunted, ever marching towards their destination. They did not appear to have a chief ant standing at the top of the hill demanding that they do the work. They just did what they had to do.

The scriptures advise us not to be lazy, but to consider the ways of the ant. Although we may not consider ourselves to be “lazy,” we can become spiritually lazy if we are not careful. With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is easy, if we are not careful, to neglect nurturing our spirits. The spiritual disciplines of prayer, meditation, fasting, contemplation etc., are just that – disciplines. “discipline,” closely related to the term, “disciple,” suggests that one is following something, adhering to something, becoming a student of something in order to learn, to cultivate, to become, to transform. True discipline is transforming.

The one who chooses to “discipline themselves” to follow after a way of thinking, living and or being does not need a school master over them, demanding that they do this or that. The desire to change, to become stronger, to get ready, to prepare, etc., propels the individual into behaviors that line up with the desired goal. When we desire a deeper relationship with the Lord, when we want our ways to please the Lord, when we yearn to know the Lord better and become spiritually mature, those desires emerge from within. No one has to force us to pray, read scripture, spend time alone in meditation and fasting. We listen for the Holy Spirit’s voice and accept the invitation to come away with Him.

The ant teaches us the value in having internal motivation and discipline. If we embrace these disciplines we will be wise and prepared…

Prepare for Winter in the Summer…

In general, we don’t see ants in the winter. That is because they have prepared their meals and stored them up for the winter, in the summer. Most prepare their nests under ground, in trees or in acorns to get ready for the cold winter months. They are not bothered by the snow and the subfreezing temperatures – they have made preparation for the winter…

The “winters” of life can be brutal…health challenges, difficult relationships, grief, depression, burnout, financial upheavals, “church,” etc. Christians are not exempt from “winter.” However, if we prepare for the winter by strengthening our spirits through the aforementioned disciplines, during the proverbial summers, we, like the ant will have what is necessary to sustain us until winter passes.

The good news about God’s grace is that even if we have not done our part to get prepared for the winter, God will still meet us where we are and provide strength to help us through. Our trudge through the snow, however, will be with greater ease if we have gotten prepared with the necessary “snow gear!”

Let’s learn from the ant and wisely prepare for winter. The Lord has promised to be with us in every season of our lives. May we choose to be intentional about strengthening our spirit and walking with Him daily.

Next week we’ll consider lessons from the Badger!

Post a comment or send me an email at Shepastor1@hotmail.com

Until next Wednesday,
In Faith, Hope and Perseverance,
Pastor Chris

Shepastor: "Reaching For Your Breakthrough"

And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. Mark 5: 25-34 NIV


We live in a "hurry up, get it now, get it fast" society. But life has a peculiar way of ignoring our technological and societal trends. Life will make you wait. At times, God will make you wait. Waiting is not easy. A lot of times waiting can be painful.

The woman in this text was waiting in pain. She not only had physical pain, but as an infirmed, no doubt husbandless, childless female, she had a great deal of emotional pain. Her condition made her an outcast. This woman, however, exhibited some things that can inform our way of thinking and behaving. She can teach us some things!

I'd like to suggest that this woman can teach us some things about reaching for our breakthrough.

Breaking through takes time: It took this woman 18 years to finally get her break through. We get upset if our answer, our deliverance, our healing doesn't happen immediately or soon after. Healing, deliverance, answers may take years to come - not always - but sometimes. Time does not determine breakthrough. Keep reaching until it comes. Understand that healing and deliverance can take different forms.

Breaking through takes determination: This woman was determined to get to Jesus. Even after spending everything she had, had gone to every doctor possible, had done everything she knew to do, had gotten worse, not better, she was still determined to keep reaching for her breakthrough. Have you quit too soon? Have you given up because of the difficulties you are facing on the way? Have you given up because things seem to be getting worse, not better? Has The Lord spoken to you in no uncertain terms and said, "STOP?" Or have you simply grown tired of reaching? Breaking through requires determination.

Breaking through takes ignoring 'haters:' This woman had to ignore those who said she had no right to press through and touch Jesus. She had every reason to stay back. But she made a conscious decision to ignore those who were critical of her pursuit. Not everyone will be excited about your victory pursuit. There are those who forsook their dreams, gave into the struggle, lost sight of their goals and are nervous that you just might break through. Misery loves company. Everyone will not rejoice with you. If you want a break through, there will be times when you have to ignore those who are not on board with your reach.

Breaking through takes humility and faith: This woman humbled herself and reached out in faith. She had to accept that people may look down upon her for literally crawling and reaching for Jesus' hem. When you desire a breakthrough it does not matter if people think you are crawling. You just want to reach Jesus! Faith encourages your heart to know that if you humble yourself in the sight of The Lord, He will lift you!

As we reach for our breakthrough, we must remember it takes time, determination, ignoring haters, humility and faith.

Post a comment or send me an email at shepastor1@hotmail.com

Until next Wednesday,
In Faith, Hope and Perseverance
Pastor Chris

Shepastor: "Spiritual Hoarding..."

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4: 31-32, ERV

Merriam Webster defines “hoard” as, “a large amount of something valuable that is kept hidden.” Might I add, “something perceived to be valuable…” When we hear the term hoard, images of junky houses, offices or garages are conjured up in our minds. If we’ve seen the cable TV show, “Hoarders,” we may think of lonely old women or men who are mentally ill and or eccentric.

Have you ever considered that we can be spiritual hoarders? We become spiritual hoarders when we “store up junk” - past hurts, anger, bitterness, injustices, etc., and perceive it to be too valuable to release. The perceived value comes from our notion that if we let it go, we somehow exonerate perpetrators of our pain from getting “what’s coming to them.”

As Christians, it is all too easy to hide this spirit of hoarding emotions from others while visiting the proverbial junky room regularly. Letting go is easier said than done. Deep wounds are not necessarily healed by time. Letting go requires the healing balm of God’s Holy Spirit. It requires a decision to release our pain to God and trusting Him to “settle the account.” It requires understanding that spiritual hoarding keeps us locked up in a dirty, smelly, cluttered psychological environment that threatens our spiritual, emotional, psychological and even physical health. The value of the “junk” is only perceived. It is not valuable. It is toxic.

If you are struggling with spiritual hoarding (at times, we all do!), ask the Lord for the strength and the faith to throw out the garbage so that we can make room for the beautiful.

Post a comment or send me an email at Shepastor1@hotmail.com

Until next Wednesday,
In Faith, Hope and Perseverance,
Pastor Chris

Shepastor: “The Embodiment of Victory Over Circumstances: A Salute to Rev. Carolyn Clark”

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. II Corinthians 1:3-4, NIV

Periodically, Shepastor stops to reflect upon the journeys of particular women in ministry. Today, we will highlight The Rev. Carolyn Clark, Associate Minister at Olivet Institutional Baptist Church, Cleveland, Ohio. I have been privileged to know and love Rev. Clark as a sister and family friend for more than 20 years. Vibrant, sassy, bold, funny and tenacious are a few words that accurately describe her. She is a woman of great faith. She is also a five times over cancer survivor.

I watched her as she pressed her way through seminary. I watched her as she pressed her way through a demanding Clinical Pastoral Education program through the Veteran’s Administration – earning 5 CPE units. And I watched her, undaunted as she experienced bouts of cancer – breast cancer, double mastectomy, cancer in the knee, cancer in her thyroid, spots of cancer in other parts of her body. None of these challenges, however, kept her from coming to church, preaching when given an opportunity, singing solos and encouraging others – always encouraging others.

Yesterday I learned that cancer has invaded, intruded, crept up once again – this time in her lungs. I called Rev. Clark today to see how she was doing. We chatted, laughed and talked about how this “fella cancer just doesn’t seem to get it – he keeps comin back!” We talked about how she has more lives than “the cat with nine!” But then seriously, we talked about how this is impacting her spirit. Rev. Clark responded, “Chrissy, after all I’ve been through and am still alive, I know that my experiences are meant to help encourage somebody else – to let them know that they can make it too. God still has work for me to do.”

What a testimony! I love and appreciate my sister, Rev. Clark. Truly she is the embodiment of II Corinthians 1:3-4, NIV,

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Oh the lessons we can learn from Rev. Clark. Maybe we don’t have cancer, but we all face trials, struggles, disappointments, setbacks, pain and at times, confusion. May we learn to mentally and spiritually reframe our plight. May we see our experiences as opportunities to “comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

Surely, we don’t know what tomorrow holds. But if our hope is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ our Lord, we know who holds tomorrow. Please join me in prayer for Rev. Clark. God is able, and He won’t fail.

Post a comment or send me an email at Shepastor1@hotmail.com

Until next Wednesday,
In Faith, Hope and Perseverance,
Pastor Chris

Shepastor: "Faith, Hope and Something..."

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11: 1 NIV

Some years ago I was asked the question, “What is the difference between faith and hope?” I responded that hope and faith are closely related. “Hope” looks forward with a desire for “something” to happen. Faith declares, “I believe that something will happen.” The old deacons at my home church in Akron used to pray, “Lord, I know you can and I believe you will!” I’ve heard the acronym used, “P.U.S.H,” “Pray until something happens. The concept of “something” is loaded. “Something” suggests that we don’t know what is going to happen. We don’t know what it will look like. We don’t know what it will feel like. It is elusive. While our desire for a particular something to happen may keep us with tip-toe anticipation, our belief that something will happen goes beyond hope to a depth level trust.

The King James Version of this verse, Hebrews 11:1 declares, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. “Substance” is a term that is used to describe the essence of something. The “stuff,” the anatomy, the composition, the make up, the worth of something. Sometimes you will hear someone say, “this or that was “substantive” or if something was plentiful, or large, we might say, “it was ‘substantial’” The prefix, “sub” suggests something beneath like a “submarine” or the “sub-board,” it is beneath, holding something up, foundational. So when we hear that “faith is the ‘substance’ of things hoped for…” that suggests that “faith” is the foundation of our hope.

When you hit rock bottom, faith will meet you there for it is the foundation upon which we must stand. Faith gives us the assurance to keep on hoping. I said earlier that “Hope” looks forward with a desire for “something” to happen. Faith declares, “I believe that something will happen.”

Faith empowers us to exchange our something with God’s something. When what we hoped for or anticipated does not come to pass, faith sustains our belief that God’s something will actually fulfill our desires. While hope is critical to our survival, faith is essential to helping us navigate, interpret and ultimately embrace all of the “somethings” that will happen in our lives. Continue to trust that God’s “something” will always be immeasurably more than the something that you were looking for and for God reasons, you did not receive.

The song writer declared, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness, I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand…"

Post a comment or send me an email at Shepastor1@hotmail.com

Until Next Wednesday,
In Faith, Hope and Perseverance,
Pastor Chris

Shepastor: “Adopting MLK’s Concept of Becoming the ‘Beloved Community…' ”

Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:31 NIV

This past week, our Nation celebrated the life, legacy and spirit of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. One of Dr. King’s penetrating ideologies was the concept of the “Beloved Community.” In today’s Shepastor, we take a look at this imagery in light of opening doors for women in ministry and recommendations for our advocates…

Excerpts from Beyond the Stained Glass Ceiling: Equipping and Encouraging Female Pastors, author, Christine A. Smith, Judson Press, 2013, pp 145-146

Create a Beloved Community

I have heard it said that we need to be the beloved community
that we talk about. The idea of the beloved community as
advanced by the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a vision
for integration that surpassed legislative procedures of desegregation
and embraced true interrelatedness. While Dr. King was
referring to racial integration, the concept is also appropriate for
bringing about equality and integration of women into the pastoral
ministry.

In order to press on, the need is for more than rules and regulations
that may begin the process but will not be transformative
in the long run. What is needed is a change of heart and attitude
through love. Kenneth L. Smith and Ira G. Zepp Jr. suggest,

“Whereas desegregation can be brought about by laws, integration
requires a change in attitudes. It involves personal and
social relationships that are created by love—and these cannot
be legislated.”4

As advocates work to create broader opportunities for women to
become senior pastors, consideration must be given to the most
effective ways to bridge the gap between functional togetherness
and oneness. Women must not be merely thrust into positions, but
rather, time must be taken to cultivate an appreciation of the value
they bring to the ministry. Through education (scriptural teachings
and social awareness of the leadership roles women have held
historically), through example (placing women in leadership roles
based upon their gifts and talents), and through opportunity (calling
upon women to preach, teach, pray, read Scripture, preside at
business meetings, be part of decision making), perceptions will
begin to change and a willingness to accept women as pastors will
ultimately increase.

To further expand upon King’s concept of the beloved community,
Smith and Zepp state:

Behind King’s conception of the Beloved Community lay
his assumption that human existence is social in nature.
“The solidarity of the human family” is a phrase he frequently
used to express this idea. . . . This was a way of
affirming that reality is made up of structures that form an
interrelated whole; in other words, that human beings are
dependent upon each other. Whatever a person is or possesses
he owes to others who have preceded

him.5

If we are to be the beloved community, we must follow the
Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto
you.” Women and men in the ministry must not simply tolerate
one another, but out of a common purpose they must strive to open
doors of opportunity where padlocks exist. Love must not cover
but transform attitudes of chauvinism, sexism, separatism, and elitism
to attitudes of equality, togetherness, mutual support, and lifting
as we climb.

End quote

Post a comment or send me an email at Shepastor1@hotmail.com

Until Next Wednesday,
In Faith, Hope and Perseverance,
Pastor Chris

Shepastor: "The Service of the Sod"

Philippians 1: 20-21, KJV
20I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Today I was privileged to preach the home going service of one of the elderly members of our congregation. The above text was the basis for her eulogy. She was a woman of character and faith. She was not a woman of fame or fortune, but she was like sod... as a result of her deep roots of faith, hope, love and wisdom, “tender blades” came up through her...

A Roman Catholic Priest, born in the early 1800’s penned the following poem regarding soil. He entitled the poem, “Earth’s Tribute,” and it reads,

(John Bannister Tabb)

“Earth’s Tribute”
(The Service of the Sod)

First the grain, and then the blade—
The one destroyed, the other made;
Then stalk and blossom, and again
The gold of newly minted grain.


So Life, by Death the reaper cast
To earth, again shall rise at last;
For 't is the service of the sod
To render God the things of God.

“
For `tis the service of the sod, to render God the things of God.”

Sod or turf is grass and the part of the soil beneath it held together by the roots, or a piece of thin material.

At times I’ve seen homes where the lawn has been stripped and nothing will grow. It is barren. Seeds have been planted, but nothing will grow. Therefore, the home owners purchase sod, that turf or grass that has soil beneath it held together by the roots. The “service of the sod” is to allow its roots to go down into the soil. As a result, new grass grow up above the sod. The sod’s roots go down deeper into the once barren soil and lifts new tender blades until they are strong enough to grow on their own.

It is the service of the sod to allow itself to lay down upon that which is barren so that new tender blades will grow and have a chance to become rich and thick. In life, there are those who, like sod allow themselves to lay down on sometimes barren soil, taking their roots, pushing through the barrenness and birthing new tender blades. They support those blades until they are strong enough to stand on their own.

At times, those in the ministry are like sod. God at times calls us to places that look, feel and taste barren. God at times calls us to lay down our roots, allowing them to go deep into the barren soil. At times God takes the spiritual nutrients He has embedded within us to cultivate the barren ground beneath us. It is the "service of the sod" to die to self, allow our roots to be used by The Lord to nurture, fertilize and rejuvenate that which seems barren, broken, dry and fruitless.
God uses our roots and our growth to produce tender blades that eventually grow up, quite literally through the sod - us.

It can be tough to be sod. It takes time for the tender blades to grow. It takes being watered and tending. It takes going deep. Paul said, “for me to live is Christ, but to die is gain." In other words, if I continue to live life on this side of the Jordan in the flesh, my life is a testimony and through my life, others may come to know Christ. But to die, Paul said, is “gain” for me, because then I can go and rest with my Lord. Our lives are not our own. We do not get to decide the days of our lives. Our times are in God’s hands.

Until that day when The Lord sees fit to call us from labor to reward, we, like sod, may be called to barren places. Sod is only useful when the roots are deep. If you are in a "sod season, " realize that God chose you to render this service because you are cultivated, rich and strong through Him. You have depth of root that maybe you cannot even see. God has some tender blades He wants to raise through that which He has already placed within you.

"Tis the service of the sod to render God the things of God."

Post a comment or send me an email at shepastor1@hotmail.com

Until next Wednesday,
In a Faith, Hope and Perseverance,
Pastor Chris