Believing the Light Will Come You want food when you go to a restaurant. Yet the more popular ones first serve you a electronic hockey puck, a pager that promises to light up and vibrate when it is time to start waiting on food instead of tiny lights to blink and shake. Restaurant lobbies overflow into the parking lot some nights with people waiting on the promise that those pagers will light up calling them into meet the wait staff. While I'm waiting, I like to watch people decide whether to take a pager after they are told how long the wait will be. Some have children (really good parents or really bad?), others run in (why?), only a few consult their partners (The least patient one asks?). Only a few turn away without a pager in hand.

by aconaway1 on Flickr

Allan Boesak talks about his life and witness as a Christian striving for justice. He says at the end of the day, the question is not, "Did I achieve the dream today?" but, "Did I believe in the dream today?"

I hope you take a pager today and believe that the God's light will break out and shake the world again.

Dawn is Coming

By the tender mercy of our God,   the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,   to guide our feet into the way of peace.

- Luke 1:78-79

The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This work by J. Christy Ramsey is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

My Pace or Yours? Like the Volunteer Army, Volunteer Fire Departments quickly let you know that the volunteer option ended right after you volunteered. After you join, you are expected, required, to serve. Ohio Pastor Mike Slaughter in his book, Change the World writes about being servants instead of volunteers. Years ago a church member told me that being a volunteer meant you work when YOU want to work. Servant means working when and where you are needed.

Suffield Township Fire Dept.

When the fire alarm sounds it isn't on your schedule. Folks are counting on you to serve those in need now, not yesterday when it was more convenient or tomorrow when you're more prepared.

Pastor Slaughter sees more volunteers than servants, more members than disciples in congregations today. Folks that are filling an hour instead of fulfilling God's dream.

The difference in motivation for servanthood was described by St. Benedict telling of three stonemasons describing a task they were all doing.

The first said,
    "I am sanding a block of marble."
The second said,
    "I am preparing a foundation."
The third said,
    "I am building a cathedral."

I hope you don't volunteer to sand rocks, but serve in building up God's home for humanity.

Going After the Big Fish

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea-for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." Immediately they left their nets and followed him.- Matthew 4:18-20

The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This work by J. Christy Ramsey is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

This year, Akron Kiwanis President Mark Fairhurst gives thoughtful and topical prayers to start monthly meetings of the Akron Roundtable which Akron Kiwanis founded. Sometimes I get a copy.

Here's this month's offering reflecting on the visit of Joel Smirnoff, President, Cleveland Institute of Music speaking on the topic: "Music and the Young Musician, Past and Future"



Akron Roundtable is held at noon on the third Thursday of every month, Akron Roundtable is a non-partisan forum. Each event, held at the Quaker Station located at the Quaker Square Inn on the campus of The University of Akron, begins at 12:00 noon with the speaker's address immediately followed by a question and answer session. Doors open for the event at 11:45 a.m. The event concludes at approximately 1:15 p.m. $15

What Moves You? Ohio Pastor Mike Slaughter in his book, Change the World he asks if the church has become like a cruise ship. A cruise ship caters to its passengers who are attracted to the promise of being pampered and entertained by the facilities and paid staff of the ship. Sunday I'll be wondering how a cruise ship church compares to a fire engine church. A church where the focus is on going out into the world to save others instead of entertaining themselves.

Ottawa Fire Dept. E103

Some churches are police cars, seeking to maintain law and order. Others are tour buses gathering folks for visits to heaven. Some are mail trucks, delivering messages from far away places and times. You can find lunch wagons churches that feed spiritually empty people. Many are ambulances rushing to care for the sick, injured, and dying. Taxi churches will take you anywhere you want to go in life. A couple of churches resemble hearses, a burial club making sure members are memorialized properly. There are churches that are school buses where teaching is the driving force. One or two churches might be like the party bus in one community I served; it didn't go anywhere, but the riders had a great time getting nowhere.

I hope you choose a ride that gets you where God is calling you to go.

What Brings You Here?

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. - Matthew 11:7-9

The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This work by J. Christy Ramsey is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

I've Been Looking for You! The Saturday before Easter we had a bunny breakfast and an egg hunt. Children ran to find plastic eggs with prizes and goodies after a pancake breakfast. (No bunnies were harmed in the making of this breakfast.) I struggled to find the way of faith in our familiar ways. I'll never hear the phrase "You can count on him" the same way again.

by Micah68 on Flickr

The Easter story has a story of hunting for Jesus. Mary wants to know where they had taken Jesus so she can go and get him. Strangely, not recognizing him, she asks Jesus where he has put Jesus. Both the angels and Jesus ask Mary about the quarry of her hunting trip. Jesus reveals himself, not by jumping up and shouting, "Surprise, you found me." but by calling Mary's name...as if he was hunting for her. The sought is revealed as the seeker. The one we call, is calling us.

So it is not that we are "Hunting Jesus" as if he is lost and we need to put him back where he belongs. Our savior can be thought as the "Hunting Jesus" who searches for us.

I hope Jesus finds you. He has been hunting for you. Listen for his calling of your name to ministry and mission. You will find he has been right in front of you all the time.

The First Easter Hunt

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' She said to them, 'They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.' When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, 'Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary!' - John 20:11-1

The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This work by J. Christy Ramsey is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.