Sturtz Stuff

I think I was in college when I heard a professor say “Life is hard and people are complex.” That is true especially in our current cultural moment mixed with the Christmas season. Often during Christmas we get focused on and are reminded of the problems we can’t solve. The people we can’t control and the expectations we can’t meet. Truth be told at the heart of our dismay is ourselves. I am the problem that I can't fix. I am the person I can’t seem to control and I am the person setting expectations that others can’t meet.  We say Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year but it often does not seem that way. It doesn’t seem that way because of all of the hecktic things happening in our lives. The Christmas season also highlights who is no longer physically present in our lives. It is no small thing then to remember that the Christmas story tells us that God has not forgotten us. God has not given up on us. Instead God has come to be with us! Christmas reminds us of who is f...

The Sunday worship service was coming to a close. The senior minister that I had been serving with stood on the worship stage to give the closing prayer. Before he gave the closing prayer he announced the results of the vote of confidence that had been held on the Sunday prior. He went on to announce that he had not received 75% of the congregational vote and therefore this would be his last Sunday.  There is a long back story as to what brought about this vote of confidence on the minister. Long story short is that there was some kind of a conflict between the senior minister and some long time members of the church. Those members complained to and colluded with some of those serving as an Elder to have a vote of confidence on the senior minister. On the Sunday of the vote attendance was high. People who had not been in attendance for many months rolled out of bed just to cast their vote.  When the senior minister announced it was his last Sunday some people began to get up a...