DON'T LEAVE IT ON THE DESK

It's my turn to write the Pastor"s Blog. I couldn't improve on a story a friend of mine sent me this week so I decided to share it with you.

"DON'T LEAVE IT ON THE DESK"


There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States .


Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course their freshman year, regardless of his or her major.

Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor's class.

One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him.

"How many push-ups can you do?"

Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."

"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. "Do you think you could do 300?"

Steve replied, "I don't know.... I've never done 300 at a time"

"Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson.

"Well, I can try," said Steve.

"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor.

Steve said, "Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it."

Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday.. Let me explain what I have in mind."

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson's class.

Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?"

Cynthia said, "Yes."

Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"

"Sure!" Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk.

Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a donut?"

Joe said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?"

Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their donut.

Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship..

When the professor asked, "Scott do you want a donut?"

Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own push-ups?"

Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."

Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."

Dr.... Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"

With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten push-ups.

Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!"

Dr.. Christianson said, "Look! This is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.

Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?"

Sternly, Jenny said, "No."

Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?"

Steve did ten....Jenny got a donut.

By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say, "No!" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.

Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push-ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten push-ups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert count the set and watch Steve closely.

Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row.. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.

Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?"

Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your push-ups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want." And Dr. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!"

Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come."

Professor Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push-ups for him?"

Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut."

Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?"

Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. "Yes," he said, "give me a donut."

"Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?"

Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

Dr Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room..

The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?"

Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."

Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?"

Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda.

Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a donut?"

Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?"

Dr Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it alone; I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not.. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push-ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes."

"Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?"

As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said, "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'Into thy hands I commend my spirit.' With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten. "

Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile.

"Well done, good and faithful servant," said the professor, adding, "Not all sermons are preached in words."

Turning to his class, the professor said, "My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not His Only Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid."

"Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?"

Great Days Ahead!

Steve

Gunman Attends Connect Group

This past Monday evening during the Connect Group that meets at my house, I noticed a police car slowly moving up and down our street. Eventually he stopped in front of my house and began to look in the windows of one the cars owned by an individual that attends our group. My neighbors had apparently seen a man sitting at the end of our road, holding what looked to be a shot gun and possibly loading it.

My neighbors had recently had to fire a landscaper that was doing a poor job of building a retaining wall. The landscaper and his friend had made threats towards our neighbors, including pointing their hand at them imitating shooting a gun at them. When the man, that appeared to be loading the gun, was sitting at the end of our street, the neighbors were all on heightened alert. They took pictures of the man, his car and called the police in an effort to protect everyone on our street.

If this gunman was not stopped quickly, many innocent people on our street could be injured.

The car of the gunman that was in the picture, was the car parked in front of my house. The man in the picture was also sitting in my house, actively participating in our group.

Turns out the "gunman" was just the purchaser of a new set of shocks for his truck. He'd arrived early for group and decided to park at the end of the street, to look over his new purchase. Now with the police in my front yard, we stepped outside and managed to convince the police that our group wasn't planning any crazy takeovers of the neighborhood and we weren't harboring assassins.

Our group had a great laugh and really enjoyed the photos my neighbor delivered as he tried to explain he wasn't overly paranoid. Take a look I think you'll also find them pretty funny.
Some people might tend to think that Connect Groups are boring. Let this be a lesson to everyone: Connect groups are interesting times of getting to know each other better and living life with great people.
Check out Silver Creeks Connect Groups and consider joining one soon.

Enjoy the rest of your week,

Posted by Pastor Brent

A dad's thoughts

A little over a year ago I was deep into plans for the first wedding at our house. I thought I was prepared to "give" a daughter away and see her start her new life. Well, I sort of was but it was different than I had imagined. You spend your life as a parent doing your best to prepare your children to be ready for life and be productive. From the nursery through pre-school, grade school, High School and College you expect the best and do what is expected to keep them clothed, fed and healthy. Everything "they" do impacts everything that you do. There is no way to be disconnected from them. Obviously the role changes. You move from care giver to teacher to cheerleader to ATM machine. It is all to be expected.

At the conclusion of the first wedding I felt I could hold my head high and feel good about doing my job. I must say I was glad when it was all over. I told daughter # 2 I needed at least a year to regroup before I would be ready for wedding # 2. I had planned on buying a flat screen TV when I got word of wedding #1 so I put it off until the following Christmas. As Christmas came last year I thought I was in the clear so I bought my new 52" flat screen. What a great purchase. I am somewhat technically challenged so I asked my Son-in-law, Travis and Emily's boy friend Jeremy to come over and help me set it up. The old TV was a 20" 15 year old unit that I thought was actually pretty good. Oh my! When the power came on I had no idea what I had been missing. I watched the thing for almost two weeks before I found out I wasn't even watching the HD chanels. After the laughter at my expense died down from my new extended family I was able to settle in to a serious HD TV watcher.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, two reasons. First, wedding #2 is now on the planning board for June 19th. Ruthie and I are excited for Emily and Jeremy. Secondly, I wanted to go public with my thankfulness to Jeremy for waiting until I had the new TV in place before he asked me for Emily's hand. I think my complaining to Travis about him getting a flat screen TV for a wedding gift and me not getting mine paid off. Seriously, not withstanding that neither Travis or Jeremy are hunters or come with motorcycles, Ruthie and I couldn't be happier for our girls and more proud of their choices in men. So if you have June 19th open you might come by the wedding and drop a love offering in the envelope marked "Father of the Bride". It will be a great day!

Great Days Ahead!

Posted by Steve Strickler

Let the Madness Begin

It's the time of year where basketball fans get excited about the big college basketball tournament to find this year's National Champion. What draws so many people's attention is that it is such an unpredictable event. Teams that shouldn't win, manage to win. College age young men become heroes by making big shots. The madness is truly based on things happening that nobody expected.

The more I think about it, this tournament with 65 teams all fighting and working hard to accomplish childhood dreams is probably more predictable than life itself. We tend to think that tomorrow is a promise...that the people we love will be at dinner again tonight...that our cars will start the next time we turn the key. At least with the tournament, we can know that someone is going to win the big game.

I've been challenged during our study of Mark to consider what is predictable in my life. What can I always count on? Who should I be placing my hope in? I know the good Sunday School answer is, Jesus, but that simple answer is easy to say and difficult to live. I'm striving this week for God to increase my awareness of total dependence on Him. I've discovered the most "madness" in my life when I get away from that reality and the most security the more I realize and respond to it.

I'll leave the madness to the basketball court but you can bet I'll enjoy watching it from a distance.

Brent Hudson