Scattered Pellets

A shotgun is my firearm of choice. Rifles are good for stationary targets at a long distance but not so good for small moving targets. A shotgun has many pellets as opposed to a rifle that only has one larger projectile. Having many projectiles increases that chance that you will hit the intended target.The shortcoming of the shotgun is that the energy from the shotgun shell from the time of firing is distributed among many projectiles thus decreasing the range. The short story on shotguns is that they aren't worth a hoot for long distance. The pellets from a shotgun will also spread out as they the travel and eventually the scattering of the pellets will be wide enough to allow an intended target to get away unscathed even though the shot was actually on target. One key to hitting the target is to fire while the target is in range.
Why am I spewing shotgun ballistics?
Well, I received a word today that my "Shot was scattered". This was regarding a specific decision that I have to make but I can apply this to other aspects of my life and ministry. Not in all cases but in some I am right on target but on others I'm out of range. I'M NOT GETTING CLOSE ENOUGH TO MY TARGET! OR PERHAPS NOT LETTING IT GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO ME ! HMMMMM
Jesus would have been a great shotgunner (my personal opinion). Jesus had a ministry of preaching, teaching and healing. He went out to the people and he allowed people to approach him. His ministry was always at close range. Of course He's God so is accuracy is greater than ours.
Peoples hearts and souls are our targets. The gospel, love and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are the pellets. So how do we get them in range? By following the example of our Lord. Go to them gently fire off a round of the gospel, love and the Holy Spirit. The love of Christ will often make people want the pellet to hit them. After the word gets out that a blast of the gospel will do great things, people will start coming in range on there own (conversions).
A weird analogy (all analogies have their limitations) but it works. More simply put "take to gospel to them, hand it to them, that's the best shot you have to have them receive it". Eventually people will come to you to have you hand it them because of your past accuracy with others.
Easily said - Now to actually do it. hmmm

"Jesus Thinks You're Cool"

Years ago I had a meeting with my spiritual directer (Canon Gary -only one n in this kind of canon). He asked what I wanted do in ministry . My reply was" I just wanna tell people that Jesus is cool". He smiled and counseled me for 20 minutes or so. At the end of our meeting he leaned in closer to me as he was sitting across the table, lowered his head, looked at me over the top of his glasses and said "Jesus thinks you're cool".
All my life I had felt like an egg that's just a little broken. You know, the one you look for when you're buying eggs that's causes you to put the whole carton back on the shelf . To this day I refuse to check the eggs I buy (I'm a weirdo). To hear someone say " Jesus thinks you're cool" was like the Tylenol that all those ancient hurts within me needed. YET PART OF ME WOULDN'T HAVE IT. I am not cool. I am not smart. I am not much good at all. These old scripts tried to choke out this new thing . But then Canon Gary said "will to believe it".
How can I believe that Jesus thinks I'm cool when I'm sooooo LAME!. Well I started thinking - Hey, the bible says that Jesus healed the lame. I'm pretty lame, maybe he healed me when I wasn't lookin'- I still look the same - still cracked - but I am different. I belong to him and that's cool all by it's self. I believe it now - I m at least spiritually cool- but my daughters still hide there faces when I pick them up from the mall.
I tell this story cuz lately there has been an epidemic of self loathing amongst the people whom I love. I f you are reading this and you are one of them - (excuse me as as lean forward, lower my head and peer over my glasses {in reality they're lost right now}). Now listen.
JESUS THINKS YOU'RE COOL! NOW WILL TO BELIEVE IT !
LIVE HIS PROMISES!

Spanish Mass * (sighing in embarassment)

Have you ever had one of those moments where you are speaking to a total stranger and every word they say hits a nerve and and you suddenly become aware that God is speaking to you through this person. Dang, I hate when that happens. It happened yesterday at a swapmeet of all places. I met this Mexican man who spoke little English but was very interested that I was priest (I was in clerics). He proceeded to converse with me about the church . He asked if we had a Mass in Spanish and I told him not at the moment. He looked down at the ground for a moment and gently kicked a little piece of gravel then looked up at me again and said "they need to have a Mass in Spanish". I was shocked because he said it with such authority. I told him that I didn't have much confidence in my Spanish and couldn't preach. He did the looking at the ground again and I knew I was in for it. "God will give you able to speaking". That beautiful and poorly constructed sentence absolutely convicted me. Here is this man, communicating to me a complicated theological truth in a language that he has no mastery in. DANG! Do you think that maybe that was a message for me? hmmmmmm
God has been dealing with me about the Spanish Mass thing for a while and I was doing my usual "la la la I can't hear you" thing. Well I heard him loud and clear through the broken English of this man named Roberto. I will start the Spanish Mass again in January. BUT I NEED HELP!God has already promised to bring it . I don't have any confidence in speaking Spanish. But I know that whole countries have accepted Jesus as savior through people who could barely speak their lingo. It's time for me to practice what I preach (again, I hate when that happens). It's hard to admit when something frightens you. Well, this Spanish Mass thing scares the squishy stuff out of me. I don't just want to get through the Mass, I know I can do that. I want to truly celebrate the Mass with them. That's way different. Pray hard cuz this priest is going BIG. I never knew I was such a scaredy cat.

Blog Challenges

I guess I more less invented the "Blog Challenge" of which I am told I should not be proud of. (my daughter Jess said this). And I'm not. It was just a way for me to see my wife's creativity and it has become a fun thing to do and see others creativity. Some of you have blown me away with your wit and writing skills. Peg once met a whole list possible blog challenges in ONE entry(awesome). Scott met a blog challenge with a two word entry (it was funny). I really enjoy the "Blog challenge" I like to see people get creative . So I encourage you to challenge each other. There are people in our little blog family that have yet to be challenged directly to my knowledge. Some have have answered Joann's list of Blog Challenges but never have been directly challenged.
Charlie, Stacia, Alena, Scott, Peg, Steve, Naomi, Jess are some that may be in desperately need of blog challenge. A challenge can always be declined. It's just for fun. Perhaps just for my amusement.
I'm trying a new type blog Challenge. Normally we just come up with a strange title for a person to write on. The new challenge will merely come in the form of a picture to blog about. My wife will get the first one.
This will be silly to many of you. It is silly. Have fun!