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Mid-Week Missive |
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| Author: | Brad Miller | Created: | 10/30/2007 2:52 AM |  | | What is happening at BCC? |
| True Lenten Fasting | |
| By Brad Miller on2/25/2009 12:50 PM | |
| Greetings on this wonderful Ash Wednesday morning,
Yes, it is hard to believe but Ash Wednesday is here and that means that we are now at the start of our Lenten journey for 2009. It is a journey we take every year, and our sincere hope is that each time we focus on our Lenten disciplines of introspection, prayer and study, we come closer and closer to being who God would have us be while strengthening our relationship with Jesus Christ. It says something about our humanness that we NEED to do this over and over again, year after year, Lent after Lent. It also says something about our grace filled God that we GET to do this over and over again, year after year, Lent after Lent.
Several years ago I came across an anonymous piece called “True Lenten Fasting” which I have used as a guide ever since. I have shared it with you before, but I would like to do so again so that you might put it on your refrigerator, or inside your Bible, or somewhere where you’ll see ... |  | |
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| | Peanut Butter Crisis | |
| By Brad Miller on2/24/2009 3:58 PM | |
| Greetings on this chilly morning,
As if the news about the economy, job layoffs, plant shut downs, industry collapses and the like wasn’t enough. Now they are saying I have to get rid of my peanut butter! Will it never end, this cycle of bad news? Will we ever be able to eat that Snickers bar or dig into a fresh jar of Jif without wondering about our safety? Will I have to check packaging to see if anything I buy was made on machines that also processed peanuts? What will become of Mr. Peanut? Will he become destitute, with a soiled top hat and a broken cane, his monocle scotch taped together, living out his days with people staring and whispering, “What a shame. He used to be somebody, I just can’t remember who.”
Well, I for one am not going to take it. We can argue about how much CEO’s make, and whether or not socialized medicine is the way to go. We can talk about the billions that are needed to shore up our economy, our housing market. We can debate ... | | |
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| | Hospitality | |
| By Brad Miller on2/24/2009 3:50 PM | |
| Greetings on this drizzly morning,
It’s kind of funny how God works to put things in front of you that help you connect up the dots, move you forward, keep you on track. Let me explain.
This past weekend, Carol and I attended a conference/retreat for couples who are involved in Marriage Enrichment events. We went through training about 10 years ago, were certified to lead retreats and workshops, and have tried each year since to attend one of these conference/retreats. It has always proven to be a relaxing time, and we always come away with new insights about our own marriage, as well as for leading retreats. Over the years the conferences that we have attended have been held at Calloway Gardens, Birmingham and various places in and around Gulf Shores, Alabama. This years conference was held at the WinShape Retreat Center at Berry College. And something about this conference was very, very different.
The facilities are beautiful, but t ... | | |
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| | Being the Church | |
| By Brad Miller on2/11/2009 4:20 PM | |
| Greetings on this blustery day,
I knew there was something different about today, but it didn’t hit me exactly what it was until just a few minutes ago. Today is the third anniversary of my father’s death. On one hand it seems so long ago, while on the other hand, it seems like yesterday. There are still days when I reach to pick up the phone to ask him a question when I am caught up short by the realization that he is no longer here. Of course, I still do that in regards to my mother, too, and she has been gone more than 10 years! I miss them both terribly. But one thing I know: without the loving embrace of Christ’s church, my loss would have been just about unbearable.
When my mother died, the people at Peachtree Christian rallied around Carol and me. I remember walking down the church hall when one of my favorite people in the world, Virginia Weaver, stopped me, reached up from her wheel chair and hugged my neck and whispered, “I’m not your mother, but ... | | |
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| | The Mountaintop Experience | |
| By Brad Miller on1/26/2009 1:52 PM | |
| Yesterday was quite a day. Starting with the huge throngs of people who attended the inauguration of President Obama you just knew it was going to be a special day. So many people never thought they would see a day like yesterday, and when the reality of the moment sunk in, I understood why there was a tear in so many peoples eyes. This was a mountaintop experience of the first order, and I can only imagine what it felt like to the new President and his family.
But as the dignitaries were filing off the main stage, one of the announcers on the station I was watching said something to the effect of, “Well, he better enjoy it now because come tomorrow, it’s business as usual and he will have to deal with the opposition he surely faces.”
“How sad,” I thought. I know that there was certainly a grain of truth in what the commentator said, but still, who wants to be hit with such a downer on such an up day? Who wants to be reminded that they live in the valley and t ... | | |
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| | Attitude Adjustment | |
| By Brad Miller on1/14/2009 2:58 PM | |
| Greetings on this cold-but-it’s-gonna-get-colder day,
Today was one of those days when I couldn’t ignore God’s presence if I tried to. First, I woke up groggy after a less than perfect night’s sleep. As I was getting ready, I was suddenly hit with an epiphany that said to me, “You can either give in to starting this day off badly, or you can decide to make it a good day.” I looked in the mirror and decided it would be a good day. Came into the office having to deal with some administrative issues that need to be tied up and with one fell swoop, someone stepped forward and basically said, “the issue is resolved.” Alright…this day might be good after all. Got an e-mail from a friend who is battling some health issues but ended by saying, “But I am doing great…I have great faith that things will be settled soon.” His attitude will take him far. And then, I looked at my morning devotional where the following was written, “Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of ... | | |
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| | A New Year Start | |
| By Brad Miller on1/7/2009 3:54 PM | |
| Greetings on this blustery day,
The chance to take a break after Christmas and just relax was just too good to pass up. Carol and I were able to get away to Charleston, S.C. to visit my cousins, and even though the big game didn’t turn out the way my cousin Jeananne and I would have liked (she also graduated from Michigan State) we had a nice relaxing time. And while it was good to get away and recharge, I am always excited about starting a new year at the church. There’s just something so hopeful about saying, “Okay, the old year is over and we can leave all the disappointments and missteps behind and start anew.” Even if we really can’t, it’s a nice thought anyway.
One way we start again at the beginning of the year is by welcoming all the new leadership of the church on board, and saying thank you to all those who are stepping away form leadership for now. In my time at BCC, I have been blessed with faithful and committed leadership who, to a person, have ... | | |
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| | Stop! | |
| By Brad Miller on12/18/2008 9:33 AM | |
| Greetings on this lovely Spring day!
For some reason, no matter how hard I try to plan things out during Advent and Christmas, they never quite work out the way I plan. Oh, nothing major, but when I work hard to make sure that I can take some time to relax and enjoy this season, I still reach a point where it seems like all I want to do is get through it. I assure you, THAT is not the way to celebrate Advent and Christmas. Unfortunately, it has become the modus operandi for how we live our lives too much of the time. We get so scheduled that we forget that we the schedule is supposed to serve us, not the other way around. So, what are we to do about it? The short answer: STOP.
Oh, I can hear some of you: “That’s easy for you to say!” Well, no, it is not easy for me to say. In fact, it is terribly difficult for me to say. I love all the activities of Advent. I love the ramping up to the wonderful celebration of Christmas Eve. I love getting together wi ... | | |
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| | A Sacred Mess | |
| By Brad Miller on12/15/2008 1:47 PM | |
| Greetings!
How does the song go? “Oh, the weather outside is frightful…” Well, that about describes today. Grey, rainy, at times downright frightening with thunder and incredible bursts of drenching downpours. A good day to be inside. But as I sit in my office, I am in the midst of another frightful sight: what a mess! If anyone were to come in and visit for the first time, they would think I am the worst kind of pack rat. But a closer look at what fills up my office at this time of year makes me feel about as good as I have in a long, long time.
Piled in one corner of my office, and spilling out into the main area are bag upon bag of Christmas presents destined for excited boy and girls who, but for your great generosity, would be facing a bleak Christmas. The wish lists of 50 children graced our narthex tree 10 days ago, now there is but a handful. Presents have already started coming in and my office has become the storage area. For those who took ... | | |
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| | Being the Church | |
| By Brad Miller on12/4/2008 10:11 AM | |
| Greetings on this sunny, chilly day,
It was a simple statement. “You know, times are tough. People may not be able to buy Christmas Trees like they have in the past.” And that simple statement by someone as we set up the Christmas Tree lot about 10 days ago got a discussion going. How can we help people out? The discussion became about how everyone is feeling the pinch of the recession, from the poorest of the poor, to the wealthy. In the neighborhood surrounding the church, we see a little bit of everything from stately old homes to shotgun shacks.
The discussion continued off and on about what the church might be able to do and somehow, an idea bubbled to the surface. What if we collected food to help support those who are having trouble putting food on the table AND gave those who donated the food a break on their Christmas Trees, who might appreciate a little break in tough times, too. The idea got thrown around and some folks got pretty excited abou ... | | |
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