A Retired Preacher's View from the Pew

(Editor's Note: This column was written by my dad. His column will appear in the Nebraska Family Times every month. Dad is a great teacher and I learn something from every article I read and sermon of his that I hear. I hope you enjoy this article and the ones that will follow!)

A Retired Preacher's View from the Pew

As a retired pastor I get a different view of things from the pew than the view I had from the pulpit. Christmas and Easter are two good examples.

Christmas and Easter are the two most important celebrations of the church year for most of those who practice the Christian faith. It could be debated, but they are probably two of the most important celebrations for those who don’t consider the church and worship a very important part of their lives. The secularization of those two holidays (the word “holiday” comes from the Old English "halig" holy + "daeg" day) has a lot to do with that. You don’t see many Transfiguration or Maundy Thursday cards on the shelves, but almost everybody knows they have to buy Christmas presents for their kids and take them to the town Easter egg hunt even if they don’t make the connection to the Savior.

And for some reason, many people who don’t think it’s important to be in church the rest of the year seem to think they should be there on Christmas and Easter. When you’re a preacher looking from the pulpit it’s a bittersweet feeling on Christmas and Easter to see the church packed with “members,” knowing that many of them won’t see the inside of the church again until the next year. Those are the days for the preacher to “speak the truth in love” and remind those they are to shepherd about the importance of corporate worship.

When you’re a retired preacher and member in the pew there are some unique problems you’ll have to deal with. Here are a few guidelines for Christmas and Easter:
1. Make sure you get to church early if you want to sit in your favorite pew or if your family wants to sit together.
2. Sit near the front to avoid the distraction of kids (and adults, too) who don’t know how to behave in church because they haven’t been there enough to learn how to behave in church.
3. Be careful in being nice to “guests“. Never ask them where they‘re from-they might be a member who only comes at Christmas and Easter. Instead, say, ”It was nice to see you today! We hope to see you here again soon.”
4. Try to have an answer ready for the people who complain , “I come to church twice a year and hear the same two stories year after year.” Reply, ”Come every week and you’ll hear a lot of different stories.”

Easter and Christmas give opportunities to witness to those who are less than faithful in their worship. The Scriptures remind us all: Hebrews 10:25 “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Allen Geil is a retired pastor/teacher/hog farmer who lived in Nebraska for 18 years and now lives in Missouri.

Another Sign of Spring--A Donkey Baby!

We've acquired 6 adult donkeys over the last few years. When Morgan had sheep, the donkeys lived near them to protect the sheep from the coyotes. Several months ago the guys noticed that several of the donkeys were pregnant. The gestation period of a donkey is about a year, so we've been waiting for a baby or babies for the last few weeks.

Cody and Morgan have been feeding their cattle early in the morning and also checking for baby calves--and this morning Cody came home excitedly announcing the birth of the first baby donkey! I think it's the first donkey that's ever been born on the ranch...and the ranch has been in the Burke family for more than 100 years.

I love living in the country and seeing sights like this, and experiencing the wonder of new life.

Spring is Coming...

I'm so thankful for encouraging, if small, signs of spring! I was able to walk OUTSIDE today! It's been too cold, snowy, windy, and muddy for several weeks. Jenny (the beagle) and I really enjoyed being out. We even saw a few robins, and heard them singing!

The snow is slowly disappearing. We're supposed to get rain next week and I'm sure that will help also.

I enjoy watching the seasons change; I think it was so nice of God to make our world so interesting. He could have created the earth so that the weather was constant...but it's continually changing from day to day, month to month, and year to year...and sometimes in Nebraska, hour to hour!

As my mom says at this time of year, "Every day of winter still brings us one day closer to spring."

March Issue Completed!

I just emailed Jennifer my Editor’s Letter for March. That’s usually the last thing I write for each issue of the paper. I’m really excited about the March issue of the paper. We have two new columnists; my dad, retired Pastor Allen Geil, and Dr. Randy Hinze. My dad has always been a great teacher, and has a fun sense of humor, and I think readers will enjoy his article. Dr. Hinze will be writing about the effect of stress on the body, and how we can combat those effects. I was skeptical about chiropractors until I met Dr. Hinze. He’s helped our family with several health and pain issues. I’ve suffered from migraine headaches for many years, and with Dr. Hinze’s advice and treatment, have had few headaches the last few months.

I’ve already started on the April issue of the paper! I get several emails every day from organizations and websites of interest, and today I found an article that will be perfect for next month’s issue.

If there is a topic you’d like to see covered in the paper, please let me know! If you have a specific article suggestion, send me a link to that article, and I will check if it is copyrighted or if we need permission before it can be used in the paper.

Next on my list…cleaning off my desk! It’s covered with article clippings, sticky notes reminding me of things to include in the paper, my dictionary, calendar, pens, papers…

79 Days in a Row

Today the weather man said that it's the 79th day in a row we've had more than an inch of snow on the ground. From the looks of things, and the near forecast, we'll have quite a few more days to add to that already record-setting number of days.

I'm looking ahead to July or August...I'm certainly not going to complain about the heat, no matter how hot it gets! :-)

This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it!...Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, and His love endures forever. Psalm 119:24 and 29

The pictures above were taken during one of the Jan. storms; one shows how our road is blocked by a drift. That has become a common sight this winter, with all the wind! The other picture shows the sun dogs that were around the sun all day one day in Jan. It was neat to watch them change throughout the day. They appear as a reflection of the snow/moisture high in the atmosphere. It was a very windy day! I think it's neat that God made nature so interesting.

Starting on the March Issue

It’s always fun to get a start on the next issue of the Nebraska Family Times. I usually start about 4 or 5 days before I want to have everything submitted to Jennifer, the lady who lays out the articles, advertisements, and so on, before the paper is printed. I want the articles and information in the paper to be current, yet want to have time to study resources, follow links, and pick out what I feel are the best articles. I ask God to lead me to those articles and help me know when I’ve found them—articles to inspire, encourage, and motivate readers.

As I do research and read articles, I’m very picky. J I don’t want the articles to be too long, and they must contain information that readers can put to use easily. I especially like articles that encourage readers to take action—action to help others, improve their own lives (in areas of parenting, marriage, finances, and/or spiritually), or just add some fun to their lives.

Sometimes it seems I read many articles before I find a “keeper”—one that’s good enough for the paper. When I do find an article that’s “right,” I have a feeling of excitement—I know that the article will resonate with the needs of readers. It’s a great feeling!

Some months, the articles that are the biggest challenge are those to put on the front page. The paper is in many waiting rooms, business and bank lobbies, and restaurants around the state—locations where people who don’t have a relationship with God may see it. Of course I want the headlines to appeal to regular readers, but I also want to catch the eye of those who might not have a relationship with God…but with a catchy title or graphic on the front page, might pick up the paper and learn more about God.

I just started on the paper today; I plan to have all the articles to Jennifer by next Tues. or Wed., Feb. 23 or 24. It was nice to get a start ahead of time. As I was reading through possible articles, I was happy to find several articles that are appropriate front-page material! Some months it takes hours to find good articles for the front page, so it was really nice to find them so quickly. I’ll read them several times over the weekend, and see what other articles I find for inside the paper, before I decide on the front page articles.

I look forward to hearing what YOU think of the front page articles, and any articles that appear in the paper. Please call (402) 993-2467, E-mail shelly@shellyburke.net, or write Nebraska Family Times, 42887 G. G. Road, Genoa, NE 68640 and let me know what you like, or don’t like about the paper, and any suggestions you have for making it better.

Sponsor Spotlight; Crackers to Caviar

This article appeared in the March, 2009 issue of the Nebraska Family Times. Crackers to Caviar is a Nebraska Family Times sponsor.

Crackers to Caviar
Columbus, NE

Janet Meays took over Crackers to Caviar in May of 2007. She had worked several jobs in retail, and always knew she wanted to have her own business. “It was important to me to sell Christian products of some kind, and this was a great opportunity!”

Crackers to Caviar is a place to come, as they say, “When it’s time for a break from the ordinary.” Crackers to Caviar carries a wide variety of fun, not-so-ordinary products—gourmet coffee, tea, truffles, biscotti, and many Nebraska snacks, from jellies to chocolates to popcorn and soup mixes. You will also find Bibles, the latest Christian books (for all ages), cards for all occasions, and unique gift items for any budget and occasion.

Janet and her very friendly staff members will make gift baskets filled with any items in the store—they have many suggestions and ideas to put together just what you need for any occasion. They also do customized corporate orders.

The staff members enjoy coming up with new drinks, so if you’re craving a smoothie, gourmet coffee drink, chai tea, or cappuccino, they will create something that’s just right for you!

Owning Crackers to Caviar is a family affair; Janet’s son and daughter both work at the shop, and her husband takes care of the accounting.

Janet’s favorite part of her job is talking with people and helping them, whether that means fixing them the perfect cup of coffee, helping them find the right gift for a special someone, or just chatting for a few minutes.

Crackers to Caviar is located at 2710 13th Street, Columbus, NE. It’s open 7 AM – 5:30 PM Monday – Friday (until 8 PM on Thursday), and 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM on Saturday.

For more information check out www.megavision.net/ctoc/ or call (402) 564-4768.