For me, however, I was blessed to be able to make my own choice; the choice to say “yes”.

For the past few years, I have, in some form or fashion, been the Executive Director of Burnamwood Camp and Conference Center.  Burnamwood is the place where I was raised, where I first encountered God, and where I heard my call to ministry.  What an honor to be able to give back to that wonderful place!  We cleaned up the books, started woderful new programs, and taught a new generation about the joy of Christian community.  On Tuesday of this week, I was the director of Burnamwood…On Wednesday, I wasn’t.  All that we accomplished there is already the past….it’s time for a new beginning there.  What’s next?

For the past 16 months, I have also been the Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Lawrenceburg.  What a joy!  The Church itself is gorgeous, specially the sanctuary, but the people are really what makes that church special.  They are warm, welcoming, caring, loving, and full of energy and faith.  We accomplished great things in such a short time: new members, quilts, VBS, Relay for Life, etc.  On Tuesday of this week, I was the pastor of First Presbyterian Church….On Wednesday, I wasn’t.  All that we accomplished there is already the past….it’s time for a new beginning for them.  What’s next?

On Wednesday morning, I walked into Pisgah Presbyterian Church in Versailles expecting to ease into my first full-time Church.  You know, spend some serious time thinking and visioning.  Well, the newsletter had to be finalized, folded, and mailed.  The bulletin was being printed and the phones rang off the hook.  We hit the ground running and didn’t stop until it was time to go home.  On Tuesday evening, I was in between jobs…On Wednesday morning, I wasn’t.  The future had entered the present like a freight train!  What’s next?

This Sunday is my first Sunday at Pisgah (worship this Sunday is at 10am for any locals:)). It’s all new.  A new church, a new town, a new house, a new beginning…

We all have a choice, whether we have chosen a new beginning, or it has been thrust upon us, we have a choice to enter into the “what’s next” with energy and excitement.  We have the choice to stand up and to make a joyful noise to the Lord (Psalm 100).  We have the choice to stand up and to move forward with energy in the midst of new beginnings….to always say, “What’s Next?” with energy in our voice and a smile on our face.

I will miss Burnamwood, and I will miss the wonderful people of First Presbyterian Church, but I am over-joyed to be sitting where I am right now.  The warmth of these people…the history of this place…the beauty of it…and most of all the possibilities that the future holds excites me.  I’m pumped.  What’s next!?!?  I’m in, God will provide…

My life is taking some interesting turns these days.  There is a new baby on the way.  My professional life is once again about to lead me into a new adventure.  We are moving ….again!  So, I thought this would be a good time to give the blog another shot.  No more sermons (sorry if you enjoyed them), but feel free to come hear them live and in person:).  Just thoughts this time…  

This is really more for my own personal edification than for yours, a type of journaling…or perhaps venting would be a better word.  Either way, I look forward to the journey (see quote below) and welcome anyone who wants to join in the conversation….

 “Set your compass in a chosen direction and then focus your attention and efforts completely of the journey of preparation.  A successful journey becomes your destination and is where your real accomplishment lies.” – Coach John Wooden

 A Call “To Build and to Plant”

 I’m a relatively young guy, being only 30 years old.  I wasn’t around during the Great Depression.  I wasn’t alive during Vietnam.  I wasn’t there for the height of the Civil Rights movement.  I’m sure there have been times in America’s history when public discourse was even more polarized than it is today.  But, what I’ve witnessed lately in our nation’s politics is disturbing and, unfortunately, it is very similar to what I’ve noticed in religious discourse as well. 

            When God called Jeremiah to be a prophet, the Scripture says this, “Now I have put my words in your mouth.  See, today I appoint you over nation and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”  In our politics and in the religious landscape of America, we have become experts at plucking up and pulling down, we are perfectly willing to destroy and overthrow, but that’s where we stop.  We have conveniently forgotten to build and to plant. 

            I have always thought that in America what unites us is stronger than what divides us.  I have always believed that in Christianity, our common Gospel message is stronger than our disagreements on particular “hot button” issues.  As Americans, we all affirm religious freedom.  As Christians, we all affirm the love of God.  As Americans, we all affirm that no child should be without a decent education.  As Christians, we all affirm that no child of God should be without the basic necessities for life, including love.  But, our Congress is stale-mated not because of ideology, but rather because no one is willing to give the other side a victory.  And our religious institutions are ineffective because we spend all of our time and energy bickering over a couple of differences. 

            So, as we move forward through 2010, let us not forget that plucking up and pulling down, without a vision of love, makes us simply noisy gongs and clanging cymbals (1 Cor. 13:1).  Let us not forget that destroying and overthrowing, without a vision of peace and harmony, makes us simply arrogant and rude, envious and boastful (1 Cor. 13:4-5).  Most of all, when all of the bickering has stopped, let us not forget that love never ends (1 Cor. 13:8).

            We have too much to do to be petty.  People need to be fed.  People need shelter.  People need jobs.  People need love.  People need these basic necessities in this country and all over the world.  Surely, we can agree on that.  Surely, we can demand that our leaders in both politics and religion stop behaving as children and work together from a posture of love and compassion.  That’s the only way we’ll ever move from this atmosphere of destruction, to a time of building and planting. 

After all, that’s who we are called to be as Christians and Americans.

Our girls are also in ballet and mom has a class on the evening of their practices.  That makes me the ballet dad.  It’s a long 2.5 hours of sitting in a crowded waiting area with other parents, mostly moms, and my soon-to-be 2-year-old.  We sit.  We play.  We wait.  I am the ballet dad. 

It occurs to me that, although I complain heavily and generally dread that particular night of the week, I am a very lucky man.  This new world we live in of dual income families has given me the opportunity to be ”dad” in ways that my father and grandfather were never able to be, simply because they were never expected to be. 

As Americans, we often complain about the busy schedules we keep.  We hear the rallying cry of “family values” from both sides of the political aisle, as if returning to 1950 would be better for the family.  But, in 2010, I get to be the ballet dad.  I get to see my daughters dance.  I get to pick them up when they fall.  I get to be dad in ways that were never possible in the “good old days.”  I am a very lucky man.

Reverend Pete Jones