it has finally been brought to the boards attention that i will be leaving greenville first wesleyan as of the end of july. they of course were really supportive and said that we need to follow God's leading wherever that might take us. well this weekend it is taking us to central new york. not really my first choice on location, but it really does seem to be the right place. jenny and i will be interviewing for a youth pastor position at pulaski wesleyan church (about 30 miles north of syracuse.) jenny has actually been to the church before when she was on a summer travel team with iwu. she enjoyed the church and was able to stay with a family on lake ontario with jet ski's and a boat. i think if we end up going to this church this family would quickly be on my hang out list.
to top that i have virtually known the senior pastor my whole life. he was my parents pastor before i was born and they have stayed in a somewhat consistent connection with him throughout the years.
after only a year and a half here (it seems longer) i am ready to leave and put this church behind me. i will miss the teens, young adults and the youth pastors from the district. i love the city of greenville. i will not miss the summer heat. as this new challenge unfolds before us of finding a place for ministry i realize that i am somewhat intimidated about what God might ask us to do. to leave a place where we have been so accustomed and move to a place where we know so little. i have always been a guy that likes to try new things. now i guess i might try new york.
Monday, June 27, 2005
Saturday, June 18, 2005
in memory of...
this is a blog on many different thoughts that i had, and things this past week. it might be a little choppy but it is not ment to be one continuous story with a lot of details.
this past sunday afternoon i received a phone call that i had been expecting for quite some time. my grandfather had passed away. despite the possibility that it might happen, it did not take away the shock that i felt. i thought i knew how i would handle it but all i could do was sit and think about papa.
i have always been close to papa. we have may shared stories of fishing, playing, riding the tractor and being in his garden. when i was younger i would go weeks at a time to go visit papa and gram. it was always a time that i looked forward to.
we took the flight to maine which was longer than anticipated (and by the way there are no more benevolent prices for airplane tickets) but we finally arrived at my grams house at 11:30pm. my gram was already asleep so talking to her would have to wait for tomorrow.
the next morning it seemed that everyone was in relatively good moods talking about what would take place that day with viewing hours and a meeting with the pastor.
we planned a service with the pastor as well as told stories of papa's life. it was good to here some stories of him that i have never heard before. one of which showed his prankster mentality. he put a plastic fly in someone's oatmeal. it got me thinking about how funny my grandfather was. he was always telling some sort of joke or pulling some sort of prank. the service would be full of music, mini-homily (given by me,) a special moments (an open mike) and a message by the pastor.
the first time i viewed my grandfather. all i could think is that it looked nothing like him. there was something missing. and then i figured of course there is a lot missing. it might be flesh but what makes the human is the soul and it was no longer with him. of course he looks different.
the viewing that day led to comments about papa like:
"he was a good man"
"at church every time the door opened"
"spiritual wisdom"
"love for people"
but the biggest comment of the day was how much of a jokester my papa was.
the next day at the funeral i spoke shortly on how overjoyed the disciples were when they saw the resurrected Christ. when they saw his scars and how overjoyed papa must be at that moment.
my favorite moment though were the special moments. people told different stories about papa. one of them was my mom's roomate in college. she talked about being a new christian when she went to the univ of maine at farmington and how much of an influence "boots" was on her in her early walk.
"boots" is a nickname my father earned when he used to play soccer with the boys ministry at his church. he wore his steel toe work boots and bruised many a shins playing the game.
other stories talked about clam digging, how he was more than a friend... he was a buddy, how meghann (one of my cousins) would never fall asleep in his parents arms but could in papa's, his dedication, his friends and falling asleep in a middle of a lake while taking (jed) another cousin fishing.
we then drove to the graveside funeral which is a story in itself because papa went there in a casket only later to be moved to be cremated. the pastor here said something i really like. "everything mortal of ernest would be buried." this goes back to the idea that i stated earlier no soul to be buried.
later the american flag was presented to my grandma. i wondered why this was because my papa never served. not that he didnt want to though. he really wanted to but he had a bad heart so was never accepted into the military. i thought that this was a good gesture by my uncle who spent 20 years in the navy. because at times papa would talk about how he wished he could have served with his friends.
as we got back in the van the song on the radio was todd agnews version of amazing grace. it was really quite fitting for the moment. just like the whole week. it was nice to be able to mourn, cope and eventually celebrate the life that papa lived and the life that he is now experiencing in the presence of Jesus.
this past sunday afternoon i received a phone call that i had been expecting for quite some time. my grandfather had passed away. despite the possibility that it might happen, it did not take away the shock that i felt. i thought i knew how i would handle it but all i could do was sit and think about papa.
i have always been close to papa. we have may shared stories of fishing, playing, riding the tractor and being in his garden. when i was younger i would go weeks at a time to go visit papa and gram. it was always a time that i looked forward to.
we took the flight to maine which was longer than anticipated (and by the way there are no more benevolent prices for airplane tickets) but we finally arrived at my grams house at 11:30pm. my gram was already asleep so talking to her would have to wait for tomorrow.
the next morning it seemed that everyone was in relatively good moods talking about what would take place that day with viewing hours and a meeting with the pastor.
we planned a service with the pastor as well as told stories of papa's life. it was good to here some stories of him that i have never heard before. one of which showed his prankster mentality. he put a plastic fly in someone's oatmeal. it got me thinking about how funny my grandfather was. he was always telling some sort of joke or pulling some sort of prank. the service would be full of music, mini-homily (given by me,) a special moments (an open mike) and a message by the pastor.
the first time i viewed my grandfather. all i could think is that it looked nothing like him. there was something missing. and then i figured of course there is a lot missing. it might be flesh but what makes the human is the soul and it was no longer with him. of course he looks different.
the viewing that day led to comments about papa like:
"he was a good man"
"at church every time the door opened"
"spiritual wisdom"
"love for people"
but the biggest comment of the day was how much of a jokester my papa was.
the next day at the funeral i spoke shortly on how overjoyed the disciples were when they saw the resurrected Christ. when they saw his scars and how overjoyed papa must be at that moment.
my favorite moment though were the special moments. people told different stories about papa. one of them was my mom's roomate in college. she talked about being a new christian when she went to the univ of maine at farmington and how much of an influence "boots" was on her in her early walk.
"boots" is a nickname my father earned when he used to play soccer with the boys ministry at his church. he wore his steel toe work boots and bruised many a shins playing the game.
other stories talked about clam digging, how he was more than a friend... he was a buddy, how meghann (one of my cousins) would never fall asleep in his parents arms but could in papa's, his dedication, his friends and falling asleep in a middle of a lake while taking (jed) another cousin fishing.
we then drove to the graveside funeral which is a story in itself because papa went there in a casket only later to be moved to be cremated. the pastor here said something i really like. "everything mortal of ernest would be buried." this goes back to the idea that i stated earlier no soul to be buried.
later the american flag was presented to my grandma. i wondered why this was because my papa never served. not that he didnt want to though. he really wanted to but he had a bad heart so was never accepted into the military. i thought that this was a good gesture by my uncle who spent 20 years in the navy. because at times papa would talk about how he wished he could have served with his friends.
as we got back in the van the song on the radio was todd agnews version of amazing grace. it was really quite fitting for the moment. just like the whole week. it was nice to be able to mourn, cope and eventually celebrate the life that papa lived and the life that he is now experiencing in the presence of Jesus.
Sunday, June 12, 2005
taxes and death
some people say the only two things you will never escape are death and taxes. unlike taxes death happens everyday. today i received word from my parents that my grandfather has died. this being my first close family member who has died it truly is an interesting situation. i have never experienced this before. but my thoughts are not taken to me losing a grandfather but a wife losing a husband and a daughter losing a father. it has to hurt them much more than it hurts me. my grandparents had been married for 53 years. and my mother is 47. i am only 24.
my grandfather was a great man. he was the quiet silent type. not the in your face military sargeant but the laid back surfer type. he was the most laid back guy, who would sit and go with the flow. one time my sister put a head band on him decorated with 20 or so barettes. my greatest memories are of him and i fishing or on the tractor. when jenny and i were married last summer he was the one skipping out of the church. he was also the one dancing the ymca. he might of been old but he was full of life right up to the end.
the past 2-3 weeks he has been visited by a hospice nurse and could only get around with a wheel chair. i loved that man. he was the kindest most gentlest man that i have ever had the chance to know. it is sad to see him go. but i realize he is not suffering any longer. he is in a much better place. it will be hard for my grandmother how could it not be after seeing the same person every day for 53 years. i can only compare that to the ten months jenny and i have been married. my thoughts are with grandma as she deals with this. please pray for my family.
survived by a wife. two daughters. five grandchildren. earnest cook lived a life of love.
goodbye papa, enjoy God
my grandfather was a great man. he was the quiet silent type. not the in your face military sargeant but the laid back surfer type. he was the most laid back guy, who would sit and go with the flow. one time my sister put a head band on him decorated with 20 or so barettes. my greatest memories are of him and i fishing or on the tractor. when jenny and i were married last summer he was the one skipping out of the church. he was also the one dancing the ymca. he might of been old but he was full of life right up to the end.
the past 2-3 weeks he has been visited by a hospice nurse and could only get around with a wheel chair. i loved that man. he was the kindest most gentlest man that i have ever had the chance to know. it is sad to see him go. but i realize he is not suffering any longer. he is in a much better place. it will be hard for my grandmother how could it not be after seeing the same person every day for 53 years. i can only compare that to the ten months jenny and i have been married. my thoughts are with grandma as she deals with this. please pray for my family.
survived by a wife. two daughters. five grandchildren. earnest cook lived a life of love.
goodbye papa, enjoy God
Friday, June 03, 2005
camp
you know summer has arrived when it is time for sc district camp. camps start as early as possible around here. the last of the schools finished the 04-05 school year just this past wednesday. and this monday approximately 100 jr highers will be at table rock wesleyan campground to enjoy everything there is at camp.
i personally love camp. everything about it. when i was younger it was something different, get out of the house and be able to hang out with friends for a full week. and all that stuff about God was good too.
now that i am older. i still love camp. it is the thing that i look forward to the full year of youth ministry. what really is youth ministry without camp? the teens do not get the much needed mountain top experience. not to take away from the weekly youth meeting but there is something that brings out the teens emotion, spirit and joy with spending a week in a different place, with different people, hearing a different speaker.
did i mention i love camp. it is obviously for different reasons then when i was younger but not to far off. i love seeing teens excited. i still love the games, in fact one thing we do at sc camp is counselors vs campers basketball. in a way i feel bad for the campers (especially the jr high, they are to young) but i love to beat them so much. in the many years that they have had these basketball games the counselors are unbeaten. i want to say 48-0 but i am not positive. i love being a counselor. it is actually part of my job description with the church that i pastor at. i get paid to go to camp. what an awesome thing. when some of the counselors actually use their vacation to go to camp, i get paid to go to camp. three weeks of it.
camp is fun for other reasons like the poker games that start at midnight, the idea of not having to cook or do dishes for a full week, climbing the mountain, swimming, playing sports, oh and did i mention that our camp has a water slide! i leave sunday after the pm service for camp.
the only downside to camp is that this is my first year being married so i will have to spend a week away from jenny as she will have to work. someone has to bring home the bacon. i will see her on wednesday night of camp as she and some other sponsors will bring teens to the service. but it will be ok, why because i love camp.
i personally love camp. everything about it. when i was younger it was something different, get out of the house and be able to hang out with friends for a full week. and all that stuff about God was good too.
now that i am older. i still love camp. it is the thing that i look forward to the full year of youth ministry. what really is youth ministry without camp? the teens do not get the much needed mountain top experience. not to take away from the weekly youth meeting but there is something that brings out the teens emotion, spirit and joy with spending a week in a different place, with different people, hearing a different speaker.
did i mention i love camp. it is obviously for different reasons then when i was younger but not to far off. i love seeing teens excited. i still love the games, in fact one thing we do at sc camp is counselors vs campers basketball. in a way i feel bad for the campers (especially the jr high, they are to young) but i love to beat them so much. in the many years that they have had these basketball games the counselors are unbeaten. i want to say 48-0 but i am not positive. i love being a counselor. it is actually part of my job description with the church that i pastor at. i get paid to go to camp. what an awesome thing. when some of the counselors actually use their vacation to go to camp, i get paid to go to camp. three weeks of it.
camp is fun for other reasons like the poker games that start at midnight, the idea of not having to cook or do dishes for a full week, climbing the mountain, swimming, playing sports, oh and did i mention that our camp has a water slide! i leave sunday after the pm service for camp.
the only downside to camp is that this is my first year being married so i will have to spend a week away from jenny as she will have to work. someone has to bring home the bacon. i will see her on wednesday night of camp as she and some other sponsors will bring teens to the service. but it will be ok, why because i love camp.
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