My Takes on the Super Bowl 2024

 My takes on the Super Bowl:

1. I would have had a better time if Dondra and I could have been around people, but after both of us having the flu all week, we decided not to risk hosting our annual CA party. Even our kids had a party without us.

2. The game was not rigged for KC. Otherwise the illegal man down field against SF would have been called on their first touchdown. There will always be calls that are missed. I know this for a fact. I'm a Bills fan.

3. Some have claimed that karma didn't work because Kelce got away with pushing Reid. I say karma did work because Reid still won and Kelce got the girl who writes songs about past boyfriends (inevitably, he will be one of them - and that song will surely be a doozy).

4. Some of my friends referred to Kelce as an ape and a scumbag. I don't like the name calling and for those of us who have played sports passionately, we know that sometimes the worst part of us pops out when the contest is hot. I prefer to be gracious and I am willing to bet Reid will be too. Kelce will have to live with the ramifications.

5. Brock Purdy is a great story. I love his testimony. I love his calm demeanor. I hope he is around for a long time.

6. I appreciate the sentiment of the "He gets us" campaign. However, it misses the essential aspect of the grace and mercy that Jesus showed the woman caught in adultery when He said, Go and sin no more! There were some lines that were blurry in the pictures that were shown and easily could be interpreted incorrectly. The gospel is easy to understand, not so easy to accept. We don't need to mess with it. It doesn't need help. It is the power of God...period.

7. I did look at the "He gets us" website and totally agree with their concern that certain movements - political and otherwise - use Christianity to shame and harm others (pay attention Christian nationalists). I agree.

8. But again - I looked at the entirety "about us" section and no mention of our need of Jesus. Good grief! What are they afraid of!? Or are they universalists in disguise?

9. I saw on the news that the owner of 26 Shirts was given tickets to the Super Bowl by the Bills. They are a class act and the Decker men own lots of their shirts. Check them out if you don't know what we are talking about.

10. I like a lot of Taylor Swift's songs. Especially her early stuff and some of her most recent. I will not confess to how many albums I have of hers.

11. Taylor Swift is a marvelous capitalist. She may not realize it though.

12. Another friend found offense in Kelce pushing his elderly coach. Reid is 65. I am 65. I am offended at being called elderly.

13. The usher I prefer is the one that carries offering plates. I have a good friend whose last name is Usher. He's better than that guy at halftime and he can't sing (but his wife has a marvelous voice).

14. I wonder if there will ever be a halftime show where I will understand the words as they come out of the mouths of the musicians.

15. Reba hit out of the park with her rendition of the national anthem. I loved the simplicity and the sincerity. It appeared that she meant what she was singing.

16. No one, in my opinion, will ever surpass Whitney Houston's iconic performance.

17. Post Malone's rendition of America was moving, but I find his tattoos distracting. I had to close my eyes. Just sayin'.

18. Go Bills!

I Am Tired of Leadership

It began when I was a youth pastor. I wanted to do it well and since I was young, I sought out experts. I went to every Youth Specialties Conference that came to the area. Then it was the Sonlife Ministries. They inspired me to be more effective in reaching youth.

Then I became the Lead/Senior Pastor and now I needed to really up my game. Years before, mentors and elders had prayed over me. They blessed me. They said I was going to do great things for God. I believed the discernment and the prophetic tone of these prayers.

I sought to be better. I studied church growth strategies. I took staff to leadership seminars. I went to leadership conferences with Christianity Today (I loved going to San Diego in the winter!). I wanted to be a great leader for Christ's sake.

While some changes happened and churches grew, the greatness that I believed was to be my experience never seemed to occur. Perhaps I did something wrong to frustrate what God had in mind for me.

The truth is I more often felt like a CEO that was directing a business than a shepherd. I seemed to have a lot of bosses. So many people in the church seemed to know how I should be doing my job. Nevermind that they contradicted each other. I never sought their "wisdom." I still don't want it.

I never prayed to any of them.

Fourteen years ago, I left pastoral leadership in the church. God called me to campus ministry. I was apprehensive and delighted all at the same time. My time on campus has reminded me of the reason I went into ministry in the first place. People need Jesus.

Some things, however, never change. Now, I am encouraged to study the Millennials and Generation Z so that I can adequately minister to them. I'm in my sixties now. I sometimes feel the pressure that I am not adequate.

Frankly, I seem to be doing fine without the experts telling me what I need to know. Students need people to love them and speak into their lives. They respond to that. I don't think I need to know a whole lot more than that. Actually, I have found that to be true across generations.

But if you can come up with a conference of "How to Listen to the Holy Spirit When Everyone Else Thinks They Know How to Do Your Job Better Than the Way You Are Doing It Now," I will be there.

I Am Thankful - Campus Ambassador Version 2020

I am thankful.

2020 has been a year of irony – it certainly has not brought us clarity of vision – for anything.  We talk about 20/20 hindsight where many things become clearer as we look back at them. This year, though is unprecedented. There hasn’t been anything like it. 

But, I am thankful.

I didn’t take this whole covid 19 virus thing too seriously at the beginning of this year. I thought it would be like so many viruses and flus from before. It would just come and go.  But this one did not.

And, as far as our Campus Ambassadors ministry, this outbreak messed up our plans for Spring Break, Infusion, Fall Retreat, and made UB a very quiet place.

Yet, I am thankful.

I am thankful for each person in our ministry. I am thankful for my co-workers – Sally Henien and Tim Stewart – they are passionate for students and generous with time and resources. I am thankful for Megan Fulmer – who has volunteered to help this last year and a half – she has filled in so many gaps for us – she’s a star. I am thankful for each student that has allowed us into your lives – we count it a privilege. It humbles us.

I’ve got a lot to be thankful for this year.

How about you?

My Father's Prayer at James & Natalie's Wedding

I was fortunate that my dad saved his copy of the words he said at JJ & Natalie's wedding. I think they reflect well the kind of man he was and what I still strive to be.

This is a time of blessing.

Natalie and JJ – be assured that you have the total blessing of your parents,

That you have the blessing of your grandparents,

And the blessing of your siblings,

That you have the blessing of your relatives and your many friends,

And that you have the blessing of two great congregations

That of the Grace Community Church of Chelmsford and Randall Memorial Baptist here.

But what we want most of all is the blessing of God – so let us pray.

We beseech you our Lord God Almighty…

• Infinite in Sovereignty
• Infinite in Wisdom
• Infinite in Mercy
• Infinite in Grace
• Infinite in Love
• And infinite in Holiness…

For your complete blessing upon Natalie and JJ as they become One and trod the path of service in good works that you in your ever present now have already ordained for them.

As we prepare to worship, anoint all with your glorious presence and may this service remind us once again of our Lord Jesus Christ as the bridegroom to gather His bride the church.

God bless us in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Covid-19: Is It God's Judgment on Humanity?

From time to time, I connect with someone who is upset with Christianity’s position on evil, hell, and judgment. Of course, these are not easy subjects to discuss, but I do have a simple response that I use over and over again, “So, you dislike justice?”

It is interesting to me to understand how justice and injustice are ingrained into our minds at a very early age. It does not take long before we hear young children scream out, “That’s not fair!” In fact, as we mature, anytime a wrong has been done to us, our first instinct is to demand justice. A world where wrongs are left uncorrected is abhorrent to us.

So, why don’t we expect the same from God? After all, if anybody is going to get justice right, He is. Yet, if the outcome is something we don’t want, we express our distrust, our rebellion, or even our disbelief. Ironically, I have heard people say, "I can't believe in a God like that" as if the existence of God is dependent on their belief.

This brings me to the question for today. Is it possible that the pandemic of the covid-19 virus is a judgment on humanity? I’ve already come across “prophetic” voices that have declared with absolute certainty that it is God’s judgment and that things will certainly get worse before it gets better (or perhaps it will not ever get better).

Some of these voices are the same that preached doom and gloom about the AIDS crisis, the 9-11 attacks, and Hurricane Katrina. Over and over again, outlandish predictions are made that don’t come true. I get the feeling that God gets blamed for a lot of things that are not His fault.

Yet, I do recognize that there have been prophets through the ages that have been ignored, unwanted, punished, and even executed. Just read the account of Jeremiah in the Hebrew Scriptures and you will get a first-hand account of what it is like to deliver messages that no one wants to hear.

We live in a time that the church is increasingly uncomfortable about talking about God’s wrath. It seems to be so opposite of the church’s emphasis (perhaps an over-emphasis) on God’s love and grace. Indeed, I do not think we can ever fully appreciate the depth of God’s grace and mercy unless we understand the severity of God’s anger and wrath against sin and injustice. That being said, it has caused me to pause and ask these questions: Could God really be that angry with us? Could He be so disgusted that He causes or allows a virus like this to exist? The more I thought about it, the firmer my conclusion became a resounding “Yes!”

Consider the following:

• We have increasingly become a nation that is spiritually cold and does not fear God.
• We “Christians” go to church to get a “pick-me-up” and feel good, instead of being challenged by the Scriptures to be true followers of Jesus.
• We lack the discernment in understanding that just because something is legal per our government does not mean it is ethical according to God’s standards.
• We remove dependent living beings from the womb and treat them as property, instead of unique creations.
• We increasingly reject God’s good design of gender and marriage and think that we have better ideas.
• We break sacred promises of commitment, loyalty, and love and choose divorce because we deserve to be “happy.”
• We continue to excuse racial and ethnic injustice instead of seeing the essential equality we all possess as beings made in the image of God.

This all being said, how long do we think the sovereign God will stand by and do nothing? The Scriptures reveal that God is rather consistent in His response to our rejection of Him. For example:

Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.

"Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters."

The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.

Psalm 2.1-4

The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies.

The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.

         Nahum 1.2-3

The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.

II Chronicles 36.15-16

I confess, the last four words in II Chronicles 36.16 struck at my heart. There came a time in the life of the Kingdom of Judah that God‘s wrath was aroused and He was done. The author informs us “there was no remedy.” Opportunity after opportunity was given to get it right. Opportunity was given to live the very best life that could be lived and it was rejected. Judgment came. There was no remedy.

Could it be that the covid-19 virus is God’s final judgment? Yes, I fear so. We have done much to arouse His anger. Nevertheless, I hope there is a remedy. Unfortunately, while our scientists look for testing kits and vaccines (and I pray that they are successful), there is only one remedy that will truly work. We ignore Him at our peril.

Our Presidential Vacation - August 2018

1          STARTING POINT: THE BOATS ARE SECURE HERE

            Lockport, NY

            Marleese Patterson 2 pts; Stephen Griffith, John Wulf 1 pt

2          NO EVACUATION NEEDED TODAY

            Dunkirk, NY (a reference to evacuation from France in WWII)

            Marleese Patterson 2 pts; Orin Helfrich, John Wulf 1 pt

3          A MEADOW AT 270 DEGREES

            Westfield, NY (west is 270 degrees on the compass)

            Marleese Patterson 2 pts; Orin Helfrich, John Wulf 1 pt

4          BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE PASSED RIGHT ON BY

            Ripley, NY

            Marlesse Patterson 2 pts; Orin Helfrich, John Wulf 1 pt

5          STATE BORDER CROSSING #1

            New York to Pennsylvania

            Olivia Austin 2 pts; Marleese Patterson, Orin Helfrich, John Wulf 1 pt

6          IT IS “ALMOST AN ISLAND”

            Presque Isle, PA (French translation)

            Sara Villa 2 pts, Orin Helfrich

7          STATE BORDER CROSSING #2 (THAT WAS QUICK)

            Pennsylvania to Ohio

            Marleese Patterson 2 pts; Orin Helfrich, John Wulf 1 pt

8          #20’S HOMETOWN

            Mentor, OH

            Karla Mansour 2 pts

9         DID THEY NAME THIS PLACE AFTER #22 & #24?

           Cleveland, OH
           The answer is NO. Cleveland existed long before Grover Cleveland became famous.
           Sara Villa 2 pts; Orin Helfrich, John Wulf 1 pt

10        THE HOME OF #19

            Rutherford B Hayes National Historic Site, Fremont, OH

            Karla Mansour, 2 pts

11        STATE BORDER CROSSING #3

            Ohio to Indiana

            Karla Mansour 2 pts; Orin Helfrich, John Wulf 1 pt

12        “OUR LADY”

            Notre Dame University, South Bend, IN

            Sara Villa 2 pts; John Wulf 1 pt

13        IRONICALLY, IT IS NOT IN MICHIGAN

            Michigan City, IN

Melanie Brady 2 pts; Michael Mordenga hilarious humor 2 pts; Orin Helfrich, John Wulf 1 pt

14        STATE BORDER CROSSING #4

            Indiana to Illinois

            Karla Mansour 2 pts; Orin Helfrich, John Wulf 1 pt.

15        NAMED AFTER A 17^TH CENTURY EXPLORER

            Joliet, IL

            Orin Helfrich 2 pts; John Wulf 1 pt

16        JOHN DEERE HQ

            Moline, IL

            Olya Schumacher 2 pts; Mary Merle, Orin Helfrich, John Wulf 1 pt

17        STATE BORDER CROSSING #5

            Illinois to Iowa

            Sara Villa 2 pts; Orin Helfrich, John Wulf 1 pt

18        SOFA

            Davenport, IA

            Karla Mansour 2 pts; Orin Helfrich, Judy Hamrick, John Wulf 1 pt

19        AROMATIC WOOD WITH QUICK MOVING WATER

            Cedar Rapids, IA (visiting the Cannon family!)

            Cara Jane 2 pts; Olivia Austin, Orin Helfrich, Judy Hamrick, John Wulf 1 pt

20        “SOME MOUNDS”

            Des Moines, IA (French translation)

            Karla Mansour 2 pts; Olivia Austin, John Wulf

21        STATE BORDER CROSSING #6

            Iowa to Nebraska

            Karla Mansour 2 pts; Oliva Austin, Orin Helfrich, John Wulf 1 pt

22        ORIGINALLY IT WAS NAMED LANCASTER, BUT NOW IT IS #16

            Lincoln, NE

Karla Mansour 2 pts ;Olivia Austin, Orin Helfrich, John Wulf 1 pt; Mike Mordenga (humor) 2 pts

23        STATE BORDER CROSSING #7

            Nebraska to Colorado

            Olivia Austin 2 pts; John Wulf 1 pt

24        NOT A COMB

            Brush, CO

            Lennie Gunder 2 pts; Olivia Austin, John Wulf 1 pt

25        MISSIONS DOOR HQ

            Denver, CO

            Don Carrato 2 pts; Marleese Patterson, Lennie Gunder, Oliva Austin, John Wufl 1 pt

26        WASHINGTONVILLE

            Georgetown, CO

            Don Carrato 2 pts; John Wulf 1 pt

27        YOU REALLY WANT ONE OF THESE IF YOU JUMP OUT OF AN AIRPLANE

            Parachute, CO

Olivia Austin 2 pts; Lennie Gunder, John Wulf 1 pt; Humorous answers Don Carrato, Kathy Duff 1 pt

28        IT’S A BIG BIG INTERSECTION

            Grand Junction, CO

            Lennie Gunder 2 pts; John Wulf 1 pt

29        STATE BORDER CROSSING #8

            Colorado to Utah

            John Wulf 2 pts

30        WEALTHY MEADOW

            Richfield, UT

            Don Carrato 2 pts; John Wulf 1 pt

31        WHEN A WHIRLWIND BLEW THE TOP OF A BUGGY, THEY MISTAKENLY CALLED THE TOWN THIS.
            Hurricane, UT

            Lennie Gunder 2 pts

32        Apparently, I don’t know how to count…

33        STATE BORDER CROSSING #9

            Utah to Arizona

            John Wulf 2 pts

34        STATE BORDER CROSSING #10 (THIS WAS RATHER QUICK TOO)

            Arizona to Nevada

            Joe Crimando 2 pts; Oliva Austin, John Wulf 1 pt

35        IT ADDS A GREAT TASTE TO YOUR GRILLING

            Mesquite, NV

            Joe Crimando 2 pts; John Wulf 1 pt

36        SIN CITY

            Las Vegas, NV

            Lennie Gunder 2 pts; Olivia Austin, John Wulf 1 pt

37        STATE BORDER CROSSING #11

            Nevada to California

            Joe Crimando 2 pts; Olivia Austin, John Wulf 1 pt

38        IT WAS 124 DEGREES AT 4 PM

            Death Valley National Park, CA

            Lexi Bolding 2 pts; Michael Mordenga best humor 2 pts; Olivia Austin, John Wulf 1 pt

39        YOU CAN BELLY UP TO THIS + WHAT YOU DO TO YOUR LUGGAGE IN AN        AIRPLANE

            Barstow, CA (Bar + Stow)

            Jennifer Helfrich 2 pts; Olivia Austin, John Wulf 1 pt

40        THE HOME AND LIBRARY OF #37

            Richard M Nixon Presidential Library/Museum, our 37^th President

            Yorba Linda, CA

41        AMERICA MADE THIS PLACE POPULAR IN 1972

            Ventura Highway

            The pop group America made this a top 40 song.

            John Wulf 2 pts

42        THE LIBRARY AND MUSEUM OF #40

            The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library/Museum our 40^th president

            Simi Valley, CA

            John Wulf 2 pts

43        WHAT DO JERRY SEINFELD, KRISTIN WIIG, AND A 1964 VOLVO HAVE IN                COMMON?

            House of Pies in Los Angeles, CA

This place was featured in “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.” We ate dinner there. Great experience!

44        IT HAS AN ICONIC SIGN

            Hollywood, CA

45        HOW DID WE GET TO CANADA SO FAST?

            Ontario, CA

            Gary Feiler 2 pts; Olivia Austin, John Wulf 1 pt

46        THIS IS WHERE “DESERT MODERN” GOT ITS START

            Palm Springs, CA

            John Wulf 2 pts

47        THIS PARK HAS TREES THAT LOOK LIKE THEY CAME FROM DR. SEUSS

            Joshua Tree National Park

48        STATE BORDER CROSSING #12 [WE ARE STAYING LONGER THIS TIME]

            California to Arizona

            John Wulf 2 pts

49        THIS WAS A “MONSTER” RIVER

            Gila River, AZ (reference to a gila monster)

            John Wulf 2 pts

50        BORN-AGAIN BIRD

            Phoenix, AZ (got to know your mythology)

            Gary Feiler 2 pts; John Wulf 1 pt

51        STATE BORDER CROSSING #13

            Arizona to New Mexico

            John Wulf 2 pts

52        STATE BORDER CROSSING #14

New Mexico to Texas

            John Wulf 2 pts

53        PREFER ITS THICK’N’CHUNKY MEDIUM SALSA

            El Paso, TX

            John Wulf 2 pts

54        THE LIBRARY OF #36

            The Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library/Museum, our 36^th President

            Austin, TX

            John Wulf 2 pts

55        NEAR HOUSTON, A GOOD PLACE TO FIND YOUR AMI IN THE FOREST

            Friendswood, TX

            John Wulf 2 pts

56        STATE BORDER CROSSING #15

            Texas to Louisiana

            John Wulf 2 pts

57        WE CROSSED THE MISSISSIPPI AT RED STICK

            Baton Rouge, LA (French translation)

            John Wulf 2 pts

58        STATE BORDER CROSSING #16

            Louisiana to Mississippi

            John Wulf 2 pts

59        STATE BORDER CROSSING #17

            Mississippi to Alabama

            John Wulf 2 pts; Olivia Austin 1 pt

60        CITY OF SIX FLAGS

            Mobile, AL (We visited the Hartin family here!)

            John Wulf 2 pts

61        THIS ISLAND CLAIMS TO BE THE “AMERICA’S BIRDIEST CITY” FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW; WE SAW A LOT OF THEM AT PELICAN POINT

            Dauphin Island, AL

            John Wulf 2 pts

62        THE SOUTHERN VERSION OF THIS CITY WILL BE WARMER THAN THE ENGLISH VERSION

            Birmingham, AL

            Joe Crimando 2 pts

63        DID #4 SLEEP HERE?

            Madison, AL (Here we visited Justin & Samantha Kuhlmann, and Parker!)

            John Wulf 2 pts

64        STATE BORDER CROSSING #18

            Alabama to Tennessee

            John Wulf 2 pts; Olivia Austin 1 pt

65        I THOUGHT THE PRESIDENT’S HOUSE WAS IN DC, NOT HERE

            White House, TN

            John Wulf 2 pts

66        STATE BORDER CROSSING #19

            Tennessee to Kentucky

            John Wulf 2 pts; Olivia Austin 1 pt

67        THE QUEEN’S VILLAGE

            Elizabethtown, KY (visiting our cousins, Don & Bonnie Hobbs)

            John Wulf 2 pts; Olivia Austin 1 pt

68        HOME OF KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY

            Sparta, KY

            John Wulf 2 pts

69        STATE BORDER CROSSING #19 (should have been #20)

            Kentucky to Ohio

            John Wulf 2 pts

70        HISTORICAL SITE OF #27

            William Taft Historical Site, our 27^th President

            Cincinnati, OH

            John Wulf 2 pts

71        THE NAME OF THIS TOWN REMINDS US OF NIAGARA-ON-THE LAKE

Geneva-on-the-Lake, OH (We had dinner at our cousin’s restaurant with a beautiful view of Lake Erie – really cool)

            Karla Mansour 2 pts; Virginia Heffner 1 pt for complaint; John Wulf 1 pt

72        STATE BORDER CROSSINGS #20 & #21 (should have been #21 & #22)

Ohio to Pennsylvania & Pennsylvania to New York

            John Wulf 2 pts

73        RIGHT BACK WHERE WE STARTED FROM 

            Lockport, NY

Jim Cummins 2 pts for humor; John Wulf 2 pts for correct answer (kind of)