The Celebration of Family

Last night individuals from around the Washington, PA area gathered to celebrate family.  Gathered together were spouses, children, caregivers, and friends united by a single word: compassion.  They all had cared for family members as they faced the last weeks, days, and moments of life together with Southern Care Hospice.  What we did was celebrate these caregivers as part of our family at Southern Care.

With stirring Christian music, prayers, and a guest speaker who had lost his mother just before Christmas, this new family gathered to embrace one another as soldiers who have shared a tough battle. We shared time, food, fellowship, memories and future plans as any other family.  There were tears shared, arms lifted up, words to encourage, and spoken but private prayers for those who had recently lost a dear one.  

There were also special moments to share.  One our family's had welcomed me into their home hours before he passed away to anoint him and offer a blessing.  He proclaimed to his wife I was her son and last night my new mom brought me a cheesecake, my favorite dessert.  My new mom also said I had to share it with her new daughter in law and grandchild.  Oh well.  At least I had a small piece.  Thanks Mom!

Family is held together by what they share and what they do.  Today I was listening to the radio on the way to work and heard the 1974 folk rock song, Cat's in the Cradle.  The song's creation has a bit of reality with someone Harry Chapin knew had a father and son relationship much like the song.  The sad and mournful thought at the end, "He'd grown up just like me, My boy was just like me." spoke about a family which had no connection.  Last night we were and will always be family united sadly by death but united by compassion. 

Mentzer's Moments: What Are You Listening To?

Mentzer's Moments: What Are You Listening To?: "I wake up each morning with radio station, WUKL FM 105.5, listening to the music I grew up with in Orlando, Florida with WLOF. I enjoy the ..."

What Are You Listening To?

I wake up each morning with radio station, WUKL FM 105.5, listening to the music I grew up with in Orlando, Florida with WLOF.  I enjoy the morning hosts, Johnny and Marjie, their banter and humor which often puts a smile on my face as I drive to work in Pennsylvania.  I listen as long as the signal is strong enough to hear, but finally, they are out of range.  They are also sandwiched between two other stations whose music I really do not enjoy and I will slowly dial the tuner on my bedroom clock-radio to get a clear signal and fall asleep with my favorite oldies.

Recently another pastor friend of mine experienced a wind storm which knocked over a large tree nealy damaging their car and home and was thankful to God for his mercy as the wind took the tree in another direction.  I reminded her on Facebook of the story from the Bible of the prophet who in the midst of troubles was searching for God.  Elijah told God he had done some great things for him but in the midst of doing something for God, the people rejected and tried to kill him. He was in the middle of a pity party when God tells him to go to the entryway of the cave for He is about to pass by.  Along comes a great storm, earthquake, and fire but it was not until he heard a soft whisper did he realize the presence of God. 

I know the voices of Johnny and Margie and while I had a vision of Johnny in my mind, the first time I met him it was not the same.  His energy and excitement on the radio gave me one impression, but when I met him at Oglebay Resort, it was not the same.  However, while I have never seen Jesus Christ, he says his sheep know his voice and one day when I am called home, I will not only obey his call, but I  believe I will do the same thing Mary did on the Easter morning.  She fell down at his feet and cried, "Rabboni!".  So how do we know we have seen the presence of God.  He will not be in the storm or the earthquake, but perhaps in the smile of a child awaken by her dad as he leaves for work and says, "I love you!"  You might see the power of God in the singing voices of four daughters at their Godly mother's funeral.  The Bible says we can see the attributes of God in the creation in which we live.  He loves to talk to his children if we just listen. I love the music of my era and have Kool FM 105 on my presets in my car.  I get jump started by Johnny and Marjie each morning, but it is Jesus who keeps me going through the day. 

Mentzer's Moments: A Recipe For Life

Mentzer's Moments: A Recipe For Life: "Before coming into the ministry I was trained as a chef at Johnson & Wales in Providence, RI. Through years of working in restaurants I bec..."

A Recipe For Life

Before coming into the ministry I was trained as a chef at Johnson & Wales in Providence, RI.  Through years of working in restaurants I became familiar with all styles of cooking.  I even earned a People's Choice award at the Taste of Portsmouth for my New England Clam Chowder.  There were five hundred people voting and by their vote they loved my chowder. 

Since becoming a Christian I have learned a far different recipe for living which I will share with you today.  Take this day a healthy portion of the Living Bread.  Do not worry about taking more than you can use because unlike the bread which God gave to the people in the desert, the Living Bread does not rot.  This Living Bread also brings the very word of God which feeds us a spiritual nourishment daily because it is from God.  Wonder Bread was the bread we ate as kids because it was enriched with vitamins and minerals. The bread from God needs no enrichment because he will supply all my needs through Christ.  Drink deeply from the Living Water so you will never be thirsty again.  You will not need to strike a rock like Moses to get to this water, but be prepared for this water to become a spring inside of you.  If you need another beverage, crave the spiritual milk so you can grow up in your salvation and resist such actions as malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. I sometime desire something sweet.  Gracious words are a honeycomb and are sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Giving gracious words is seen as a piece of honeycomb taken from the hive and chewed.  It lasts for a while and helps my life and helps to heal others. 

Do not be wise in your own eyes and fear the LORD and shun evil because this will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. I am reminded of the fact overeating can become a problem which leads to other health problems such as high blood pressure, etc.  If you find yourself saying to God, "I can handle it from here God.  I will call you when I need you", you might find yourself in ill-spiritual health.

If you use this recipe you many not win the approval of five hundred voters but I know three who will approve: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. 

Mentzer's Moments: How Can You Fear When Jesus Says "Fear Not"?

Mentzer's Moments: How Can You Fear When Jesus Says "Fear Not"?: "As the chubby kid I was an easy mark for a bully. I could not for the life of me understand why I was such a target till many years later w..."

How Can You Fear When Jesus Says "Fear Not"?

As the chubby kid I was an easy mark for a bully.  I could not for the life of me understand why I was such a target till many years later when  I realized bullies had as much fear in their lives as I had in mine.  Fear can rob you of any joy in your life as it puts you into a dungeon of your own mind.  Fear of others, fear of expectations, fear of failure, and the fear of success are just a few of the things we face.  So how does this fear thing get started.

When man rebelled against God in the Garden and ate the fruit he became the subject of judgment.  We all know that feeling driving alone and suddenly a police officer in behind you.  You have done nothing wrong but the authority and power of a police officer puts into your heart a fear of a ticket.  Likewise, as Adam feared God for they were naked, we fear because we give to others the power of judgment over us. 

When a bully of any kind finds a weakness in your life, he exploits it for his own pleasure or need of approval as someone of strength.  In reality, they are weak or perceive their weakness and act out to prove to themselves and to others they are strong.   Satan struggles to put fear into our hearts and he is a defeated foe.  We give to him such power instead of resisting him in the Name of the Lord.  I do not need to fear him because I can say to him the same thing Jesus said on the Cross, "It is finished"

We also fear the opinions of others because we have given them the power over our lives to judge us.  We want their approval and will do anything because we need their acceptance. Jesus gave us his approval when he said there were sheep of other sheep pens which he would bring together with the believers of Israel.  Many of us know the "Charlie Brown Syndrome" being a kid who longs for the invitation to a party or Christmas or Birthday card and finding the mailbox empty.  With Jesus, I have been invited to be his disciple, his friend, and his co-heir of eternity.  I am a Charlie Brown no more!

I have swapped the image and idea of success for being a son of God and forgotten the idea of failure because the old saying is, "God don't make no junk!"  I also do not need to fear failing God and not living up to his expectations.  He has NONE!  He does not hope I will do this or that.  He knows what I will do and he still loves me and called to me twenty-six years ago.  I also do not fear judgement of God since Christ took away my penalties.  Wow!  I guess that is what Paul meant when he wrote:

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Romans 8:31-35 

The answer is NO ONE AND NO THING can remove me from him so, why should I fear when Jesus says "Fear not!"

Mentzer's Moments: Are You Seeking The Status Quo or the Status No?

Mentzer's Moments: Are You Seeking The Status Quo or the Status No?: "Years ago as a youth I always wanted to have some of the nice things my friends had by their parents. If one kid got a new bike, I wanted o..."

Are You Seeking The Status Quo or the Status No?

Years ago as a youth I always wanted to have some of the nice things my friends had by their parents.  If one kid got a new bike, I wanted one with the same features.  If someone dressed in Hang Ten shirts, I wanted one or two.  When my friends would drive to school, I longed for my own car as I was riding the bus.  Trying to keep up with my friends was a endless routine because everyone was continually getting something new.  As I grew up my desires for things continued but the item was more than a bike or a car.  The hunt for things centers around what the Bible calls envy. 

Envy is an emotion when one seeks the qualities, achievements, or possessions of another person.  I looked up to people wishing I had their educational achievements and struggled with feelings of inadequacy.  I was not able to go to college with my high school class and instead worked at various jobs for ten years.  It was such that I worked extremely hard in college at twenty-seven years of age to overcome those feelings.  But something happened which started me down a road of overcoming the search for the status quo.  I found a friend in Jesus who accepted me and made me a child of God.

Now, this does not mean as a new Christian I put away the search for the status quo. Soon after graduate school I was working in the hotel industry and doing well.  So I had a new car, a new townhouse, and was looking and making plans in five years to leave a townhouse to buy a house costing over $250,000.  I also was in the market for a boat since we lived in Virginia Beach.  A twenty-seven foot Sea Ray for $27,000 and a pile of debt meant I had made it to the American dream.  I was keeping up with the Jones'! 

However since I became a Christian, I have learned one valuable lesson:

"Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.  Galatians 1:10
 I do not need to live my life to meet the expectations of others.  I also do not need to dress, drive, or dine according to what others tell me I should do.  Major businesses have people who do marketing research to tell us we need their product so our bodies do not smell or we need their product so it will smell nicer.  They try to tell me if I drive their car it will be a "chick magnet" or a status symbol to others.  When I was younger I wanted a Corvette or a Mustang.  Now I have a four cylinder Dodge Journey.  It has four less cylinders than my Lincoln, but it has four more cylinders than having no car as I did when I was sixteen.  I do not dress to impress because my wife and the Lord both love me. 

Many of us over the years purchased home exercise equipment to stem the tide of aging.  We colored graying hair and now we have more dates with doctors than our own spouses.  The treadmills which once were in our homes may now be places for hanging clothes.  The desire for a big house to put stuff in has now come to an understanding that a home is not for placing stuff, but is a repository for the laughs, tears, hopes and dreams of people who love one another. 

I no longer need to keep up with the Jones' because I no longer make them the measure of my life.  My life is in Christ and in him I have total acceptance.  I am not in a race for things nor am I am I in a search for significance.  I am a joint heir with Christ and I am just waiting to inherit eternity.