A difficult day in Palo...

Those of you who live around Grand Rapids may have read the front-page article in today's Grand Rapids Press about the house fire at the Veteran's home in Palo on Sunday morning.  This fire was particularly difficult for our congregation at Palo because we have had several visitors from this home over the past year.  One of the two who died was a quiet man named Ray who joined us for worship three or four times.  I never got the chance to learn much about Ray, we talked before church started a bit and I encouraged him (and the others) to come back again afterwards.  Now all we can do is entrust Ray to the mercy of God and pray for whatever family he had.
You never really know how much of an opportunity you will have to minister to those who walk into the church each week.  Some you know are regulars and you have a chance to talk to them each week, but others come only sparingly (sometimes once or twice a year, sometimes regularly for a little while and then not).  As the church's pastor, I make a concerted effort to greet anyone who walks in and try to ensure that they feel welcome; but it's difficult to get past the pleasantries about the weather and such to really find who the visitors really are in a short conversation.  Sadly, we won't get the chance to work on that with Ray.

Where two or three are gathered...

We had a small crowd at First Baptist of Palo today; all the men were gone trying to shoot deer, and several of the women other non-shooting reasons for their abscence.  I was asked before the service started if I wanted to "save" my sermon for next week and just have a prayer/song service instead.  I have nothing against spending time with prayer and singing, but to me, it just doesn't seem right to not share what I've prepared from the Word of God.  It doesn't really matter that this person or that person wasn't there for the message, (although at times I'm hopeful for a "good" crowd when a message has particularly moved me during my preparation of it) because the message itself comes from God and is for His people.  This isn't some mystical thing, I'm certainly not claiming to "hear" what God wants me to preach, but the work that I do in preparation for each Sunday's worship service is work that is for the people.  They don't have the time or training to study God's Word in the depth that I do, so I use the God-given talent that I have to share with my fellow Christians what I've learned from the Bible during that particular week. 
As such, when I was asked if I wanted to "save" the sermon, I declined.  It may be a bit odd to give a message when so many of our regulars were missing, but the Word of God has its own power.  Who knows?  Perhaps one of those who were there received a blessing from this message that was timely for her this week (I can use her, all the men ran off in their orange and cammo).  As a pastor, it isn't for me to decide that a particular message isn't necessary.  That's why I try to work my way through the Bible in a systematic way; to ensure that virtually no portion of Scripture is left behind without being preached (I do "skip" passages such as geneology lists, or perhaps something repetitive that we've just covered a week or two ago, for example). 
Does it really matter to me that I had a small audience this morning.  Yes, but not for the reason that most people would think.  I don't need to be heard by a large crowd, but I certainly hope that as many people as can be will hear what God's Word has to say.  Save my sermon?  Nah, I'll be working on another one real soon. 

Our God is a Creator, so are we

Which is the greater wonder, the majestic mountain or the towering skyscraper? The crystal clear lake or the painting on the ceiling? We strive to make things that are beautiful because we're created in the image of our Father. God created the entire universe (not just Earth) because it was his creative pleasure to do it. Why would someone paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (read Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling, it's a good book on that effort)? Why, because it's beautiful. This is our stained glass window, it looks out to the east and catches a lot of sunlight in the early hours. Why include such things in a church? Didn't you ever try to build something while your dad was working on a project, or "cook" something while your mother was making lunch? We create to honor our Creator.

Who else is coming?

Nicole took this picture before church started last week. I always seem to walk down to the front door at least once to see if someone else is coming. Not sure why, but I do. It's weird how you feel 15 minutes before church starts; almost like the host of a party who knows that people have sent an RSVP, but still wonders if they're going to show up. It doesn't really matter how many people are already at church, I'm always wondering about the few that aren't there (on vacation, sick, working, etc.); I'm also always hoping for a fresh face, for an uninvited visitor to pop in (we invite people of course, just always hope for one of those people who just feel the need to stop by).

On the way out...

I always make sure that I get to the back of the church before anyone else. I can't remember which pastor told me this, but he said that nothing that the pastor is doing the few minutes before or after the church is as important as greeting people; shaking their hands, letting them know you are glad they're there, finding out what they need prayer for, etc. I know that some churches use time before the service for a quick prayer gathering with the pastor (not being critical of them, I just see it differently), but I always intend to be there at the entrance, both before and after; just trying to be the friendly face of this ministry.

Let the Sun shine in

Most weeks at Palo we have the pleasure of having sunlight coming through our stained glass windows during the service (this being Michigan, we have weeks when 11 AM looks like twilight too). It makes seeing the PowerPoint a little more difficult at times, but I wouldn't trade it for anything less. By the way, those decorations in between the windows were made by Nicole, she also has a fall set, plus a ton of stuff she made for Christmas and Easter.

The name on the sign out front

When I was growing up I struggled quit a bit with pride. School was very easy for me, I always got A's, and being one of the smallest kids in my grade led to a lot of teasing. My defense mechanism was to comfort myself with my intellectual superiority to the guys who were picking on me. It took me a while to overcome that early influence; God made sure that life humbled me sufficiently (by waiting a long, long, time before I met my future wife, and having some setbacks before I met Nicole). I also had to wait years to have a church ministry of my own (spent a few years as a youth pastor, then a long wait...); by the time that Palo offered me this position, I was just happy to finally have the chance to use what I had learned in college, the chance to use what God has given me (like the 2nd string quarterback just itching to get in the game). It wasn't until later that the sign was repainted and the little piece hung beneath it with my name on it. It actually caught me by surprise the first time, but I can't help but feel a little bit of pride when I see that sign outside the church. Not pride in who I am, but pride in what God has been able to do because I was willing to try to be of use for the kingdom.

Do this in remembrance of Me

This is the altar at Palo that we use for our monthly communion. Of all the things that a pastor does, two stand out to me. The first is performing a wedding, it always feels special as I remember my own wedding and help two new people begin that journey. The second is communion. I remember the first time I led a communion service; I was filling in at Galilee years ago before I had my own church. The memorable thing about it was that I got the chance to hand the bread and the "wine" to my own dad (a deacon at Galilee); that was a moment that stuck with me, we all want to make our parents proud of us, and I really felt like I was taking a step in the right direction in that department. My wife partakes of communion every week (at the Cathedral of St. Andrew), but most of us Baptists only have the service one a month; either way, it'll always be significant to me.

Amazing what a few farmers can build isn't it?

This is the exterior of First Baptist Church of Palo, it was built in 1927. We don't build them like this anymore, and that's a shame. The stone looks beautiful and the stain glass is truly amazing. We recently had the glass removed and remounted (and cleaned, revealing the original colors behind 80 years of dirt). As you can see, we have the American flag proudly displayed out front, across the street is the cemetery where Nicole and I were able to lead the Memorial Day service this year.

Where we came from...

This is the plaque inside my church at Palo. The church has been ministering in Palo since 1846 (that's pretty early for rural Michigan). Our current stone building replaced the original wooden one in 1927. You never really know who you are until you know where you've been. In the case of First Baptist of Palo, the church has come full-circle somewhat. I didn't know this when I first visited the church as a guest preacher, but Rev. J VanVleck is a distant relative of mine; his great-great-great (or something like that) niece is a 4th or 5th cousin of mine; we were friends throughout school. (her dad's photography studio took the pictures at our wedding) I'm proud to carry on the work that was started by J. VanVleck. I guess it is a small world after all.

Jon and Elise Chadwick, Missionaries to Peru

Jon and Elise Chadwick are missionaries with Kids Alive! in Lima Peru where they work with short-term missions trip teams to show the love of Christ to the impoverished families of Lima. I've known Jon since the days when he was the kid brother of two of my best friends. Now he's all grown up and married (with young Lilia just added to the family) to Elise. The two of them are doing good work in Lima with Kids Alive! At First Baptist Church of Palo we financially support their ministry and have them in our prayers regularly. Check our their blog to find out what they've been up to lately.. http://thechadwickchronicles.com

The People of First Baptist Church of Palo, Sammy

This is my little buddy Sammy, he's full of energy and enthusiasm, reminds me a little of another youngerster that used to be full of it (no stories needed ma). Sammy used to be a bit shy, but told his mom that I was his "favorite person"; warms the heart.

The People of First Baptist Church of Palo, Tony

Tony is another board member whose fishing tales are pretty close to being "false witness".

The People of First Baptist Church of Palo, Joy

That's Joy in here customary place for Sunday School; she's always there to enliven my comments on the text with life lessons she's learned.

The People of First Baptist Church of Palo, Wilma

Wilma plays the piano and organ for us, altough I can't guarantee she won't stop to tell a story from time to time. After I began working at Palo, I added iworship songs to our service (using a data projetor); we now do 50/50 with hymns and worship songs.

The People of First Baptist Church of Palo, Bruce

I have the privelage of working with a easy to get along with Chairman at Palo. Bruce is a retired teacher who lets me try my ideas out.

First Baptist Church of Palo

The First Baptist Church of Palo is a warm and loving rural church in north-eastern Ionia County. Anyone who wants to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ is welcome to join us. The Bible is our sole authority, the place we turn to for advice and direction. We are an ecumenical church, (accepting of other Christian churches) that believes in living the Gospel through faith, grace, and love. I'd love to see you visit us on Sunday, just come on over, we're at 4455 South St. in Palo MI (Sunday School is at 9:30, coffee/donuts at 10:30, church starts at 11:00), you can e-mail me if you need directions.