April Newsletter: "Getting in Tune" OR "We are like Banjos"

Dear Friends,
Below is my "Pastor's Column" from the April 2011 Monroe City & Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church Newsletter. Because I received several positive comments about my column, I thought I should share it with others who aren't on our mailing list.
Blessings,
Clayton

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From Your Pastor…
There’s an old joke that goes: “banjo players spend 50% of their lives tuning their banjos, and the other 50% playing out of tune!” ☺ That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much. Of all the instruments I’ve played in my life (and with my background in Music Education, I’ve tried my hand at a lot of different instruments), the banjo requires more tuning and retuning than any other instrument! When I go to play music at Monroe City Manor (or any other place) I start off by tuning up my banjo. After playing one or two songs, the banjo is already out of tune. So I take a few moments, adjust the knobs and get her back in tune. And then after a couple of more songs, my banjo has worked its way out of tune again! Sometimes I feel like I’m facing an uphill battle tuning and retuning, over and over again.

Part of my tuning problem is just the nature of the beast. The wood and other materials used to make most banjos are highly sensitive to changes in temperature, humidity, and pressure. All someone has to do is open or close a door, and the whole instrument goes out of tune. Another “problem” is that my ears are quite sensitive to intonation. Some people can play out of tune all day long and it doesn’t seem bother them one bit. That would drive me crazy! But for those moments when my banjo is right in tune, it rings out with such a beautiful, melodious sound—making all of my struggles worth while.

In many ways we humans are like banjos. We easily get “out of tune” with the way God created us to be. We can trace our intonation problems all the way back to Genesis. When God made Adam and Eve, they were perfectly in tune. “God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good!” (Genesis 1:31) God placed Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden, a literal paradise, and set them free to make beautiful music together. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for the first couple to get out of tune. By eating the forbidden fruit, they became out of tune with God and out of tune with each other. The “music” that we hear in Genesis 3 is not very beautiful.

From that day forward human beings have been going in and out of tune, just like a banjo in a room where someone keeps opening and closing the door. When Adam and Eve sinned, their sin entered the human race and spread down through the ages, affecting everyone who has lived ever since. So it is in our very nature to be out of tune. But by God’s grace given to us through Jesus Christ, we can get our lives back in tune with God and one another. We can make beautiful music with our lives, just like God originally intended. We still may find ourselves out of tune, from time to time. The Apostle John wrote, “If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves” (1 John 1:8). When that happens, all we need to do is call upon Jesus Christ who is the “Divine Tuner.” Christ will get us fixed up and back on track according to God’s plan.

Some folks seem content to be out of tune, and remain that way for their entire lives. Maybe they don’t know or don’t care that there is a better way to live. Maybe they aren’t willing to make the time and effort to get back in tune. Are you one of these people? Perhaps you have family, friends, and/or neighbors who fit this category. Now is the time to get our lives back in tune! “Now is the time to listen, the day to be helped,” the Apostle Paul wrote (2 Cor. 6:2).

There are still a little more than 3 weeks left in the Season of Lent. For many people, Lent is a time to draw closer to God and get back “in shape” spiritually. So what a wonderful time to work on getting our lives back in tune. Call on Jesus Christ the Divine Tuner. He’s only a prayer away, and is available any time day or night. Allow the grace of Jesus to work in your life so that you can make beautiful music just as God intended.
Grace and Peace,
Clayton

Thoughts on Lent

Dear Friends,
Now that the season Lent has begun, I though you might be interested to read my thoughts about Lenten disciplines that I wrote for the March 2009 issue of our church newsletter.
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From Your Pastor…
The season of Lent is here again. Lent is a period of 40 days (plus 6 Sundays) that begins on Ash Wednesday and leads up to Easter Sunday. During this season, the church takes time to remember the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for each of us. It’s important that we take time to remember, because the Resurrection would not have been possible without the Cross. As we remember all that Christ has done, we take time to repent and renew our relationship with God.

One of the ways we can renew our relationship with God is by observing a Lenten discipline. Traditionally a Lenten discipline has been thought in terms of giving up something for Lent. Giving up something we enjoy for 46 days is a powerful lesson in sacrifice and can give us a greater appreciation of all that Christ gave up for us.

Some of the things people often give up for Lent include cigarettes, coffee, chocolate, meat, sugar, etc. Now there’s nothing wrong with giving up any of those things. However, there may be other things we would be better off giving up for Lent, and perhaps for the rest of our lives. In Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit, Rev. David Leininger shares a list he received from another pastor that suggests some interesting options of things to give up. See what you think of his list:


· Give up grumbling! Instead, “In everything give thanks.” Constructive criticism is all right, but “moaning, groaning, and complaining” are not Christian disciplines.

· Give up looking at other people’s worst points. Instead concentrate on their best points. We all have faults. It is a lot easier to have people overlook our shortcomings when we overlook theirs first.

· Give up speaking unkindly. Instead, let your speech be generous and understanding. It costs so little to say something kind and uplifting. Why not check that sharp tongue at the door?

· Give up your hatred of anyone or anything! Instead, learn the discipline of love. “Love covers a multitude of sins.”

· Give up your worries and anxieties! Instead, trust God with them. Anxiety is spending emotional energy on something we can do nothing about: like tomorrow! Live today and let God’s grace be sufficient.

· Give up television one evening a week! Instead, visit some lonely or sick person. There are those who are isolated by illness or age. Why isolate yourself in front of the “tube”? Give someone a precious gift—your time!

· Give up buying anything but essentials for yourself! Instead, give the money to God. The money you would spend on the luxuries could help someone meet basic needs. We are called to be stewards of God’s riches, not consumers

· Give up judging by appearances and by the standard of the world! Instead, learn to give up yourself to God. There is only one who has the right to judge, Jesus Christ. Now aren’t you glad you don’t have to do that anymore?
[from David E. Leininger, Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit Servies VI, Cycle B (Lima, OH: CSS Publishing, 2008), pp.91-92.]


Now, you might not agree with everything Leininger has listed here, but doesn’t this put a different spin on Lenten disciplines? Instead of giving up something rather benign like chocolate, we give up a bad habit like grumbling. That’s not only a sacrifice, but also a step towards living more like Christ.

No matter what you might choose to give up, I invite you to use this Holy season as an opportunity to grow in your Christian faith. Take time to refocus your life on Christ. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in your heart and give you a spiritual tune-up. This Lent can be another way for all of us to make things fine in Two Thousand and Nine!

Grace and Peace,

Clayton

Lenten Podcast 2007

Dear Friends,
As some of you may remember, during the 2007 Lenten Season the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church posted a series of Lenten Podcasts at the Conference web site. The podcasts were 2-3 minute recorded devotions given by both clergy and laity in Missouri. I was one of the clergy who posted a Podcast at the Conference web site. Maybe some you remember listening to it.

For reasons unknown to me, the Missouri Conference did not offer to post podcasts in 2008. Perhaps there was a lack of interest and/or the early date of Lent/Easter this year caught us unaware.

Now that I have the capability to post my own Podcasts, I decided that I would "rerun" my 2007 Lenten Podcast. I could have recorded a new message--and maybe I will next year--but I figure that the message of Lent is timeless. Thus, what was true in 2007 is still true for 2008.

To listen to the podcast, please click HERE.

Now please keep this in mind. The 2007 Lenten Podcast was my first attempt ever at recording a podcast. I had a very low-fidelity recording set-up. I had to heavily mute my banjo to keep it from overpowering my voice. So the quality will not be anywhere near my recent recording of Psalm 24. Even so, I hope you find this devotion to be meaningful.

Grace and Peace,
Clayton Peak

Lenten Podcast

During November and December 2006, the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church posted a series of Advent Podcasts at the Conference web site. The podcasts were 2-3 minute recorded devotions given by both clergy and laity in Missouri. People could go to the Conference web site and listen to these devotions.

Because the Advent Podcasts were so successful, the Missouri Conference decided to do the same during Lent 2007. Clergy and laity were asked once again to submit 2-3 minute recorded devotions pertaining to the season of Lent. Unfortunately, there wasn't as big a response as there was during Advent. Furthermore there were some technical difficulties in getting the podcasts recorded and linked to the Conference web site.

Well, to make a long story short... I recorded a Lenten podcast and I invite all of you to listen to it. You can either click here or type the following web address into your internet browser:

http://www.moumethodist.org/page.asp?PKValue=1144

Mine is the one for March 19. The podcast is available for both high speed (e.g., DSL, cable) and low speed (e.g., dial-up) connections. Your computer will need Windows Media Player or a similar type program to play the podcast.

If you don't have Windows Media Player and/or you have a Macintosh computer, you won't be able to listen to my Lenten podcast from the Conference web site. If that's the case, email me at clayton_peak@yahoo and I will send you the podcast in wave file (.wav) format. If you have QuickTime Player, RealPlayer, or iTunes, you should be able to listen to it. I hope you find my Lenten devotional meaningful. I welcome your feedback.