FRIDAY MORNING DIVINE APPOINTMENT

"Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you."  (Philippians 4:21)

(Forgive me; the first couple of paragraphs will be kind of "overly detailed introductory material".  If you want to skip them, you may, but I felt they were rather necessary to make you appreciate the rest of the piece!)

I almost could have called this piece,  "Friday Throwback", for in some ways that's what it felt like.  It would really take pages and pages to tell you of how much Barnabas Ministries, Inc. and its "John 17:23 Fellowship Groups" have meant to me.  That ministry was started largely though the efforts of The Rev. Dr. Richard A. "Dick" Germaine over twenty years ago.  (Dick's story could really be made into a Christian film.  He came to Hopkinton, Massachusetts pastor a "liberal" New England Congregational church in the early 1970s and saw God transform that church into one of the most important and dynamic evangelical churches in New England.  Dick resigned that pastorate over a decade ago but remains very active as the Executive Director of Barnabas Ministries, Inc.)  During the final six years that I was pastoring in Framingham, I was a Member of a "John 17:23 Group" led by Dick himself.  I got to know him very well and was the recipient of lots of prayer and helpful counsel from him.  One of the ministries of Barnabas Ministries, Inc. is the "weekly pastors prayer outpost".  I know, that almost sounds like a title from the Old West!  At least, it always did to me.  On Friday mornings, Dick and a group of Intercessors meet in the "chapel" at Faith Community Church in Hopkinton and pray for all of the pastors who are involved in any way with the "John 17:23 Fellowship" and specifically pray for requests that various pastors have e-mailed in to them.  The pastors prayer outpost is always open to any pastor who has a need or who just wants special prayer.  He or she can just show up and receive that prayer blessing.

For a couple of years, I became a "regular" at the Friday morning prayer times; usually going every other week, but occasionally even attending weekly.  There have been many losses in my life over the past six years or so.  For me, a couple of the greatest losses have been the "John 17:23 Fellowship Group" which met every other week on Wednesday mornings and the Friday "pastors prayer outpost".  Due to my secular work schedule, I had to drop out of each- and considering I was not pastoring anymore, I really didn't meet the criteria for the Wednesday group.  I have occasionally attended the Friday prayer times since the church has closed and I've moved out of the area; but over the past three years, such Friday mornings have been very rare and I don't think I'd been to one for over a year prior to today.

It's most unusual for me to not be assigned to work at the answering service on a Friday morning.  When I saw that time slot was "open" I began thinking about going to the Friday morning pastors prayer outpost.  There were some mixed emotions.  Am I a pastor or not?  I am still an Ordained Minister.  However, I get very mixed messages about that question:  Am I a pastor or not?  I'm not currently pastoring a church.   I don't generally go around telling people I'm a pastor.  I usually just introduce myself as "Bob Baril" and say nothing about the pastor stuff.  Some people insist on calling me "Pastor Bob Baril".   Others have pretty strongly let me know I'm definitely not "Pastor Bob Baril".  I just kind of keep it neutral and "go with" however that other person wants it to be.  I wondered if it would be a good idea to attend the pastors prayer outpost or not.   Last night, the weather forecast was calling for "two inches of snow" especially in central Massachusetts.  I figured it was pretty definite I would not be going to the pastors prayer outpost, but would rather be scraping down driveways and walkways with a shovel.  I was surprised and relieved when there was no snow on the roadways this morning and no more than an inch on most lawns. 

I was just a bit nervous and uncomfortable as I walked into the chapel at Faith Community Church at 8 a.m.  I was warmly received, and literally hailed as a pastor.  I wondered if I really deserved that title and recognition.  The intercessors are usually divided up into several groups- there were three groups today.  I used to be really "into it" when I'd be part of these prayer meetings years ago.   As we prayed for various pastors and churches and situations I realized I was pretty much "out of the loop".  I did not recognize quite a few of the names of pastors.  After several years, there have been a lot of pastoral changes in the area.  It still felt great to be part of it, however.  I was blessed that a pastor in the small group in which I was praying specifically prayed for me and my situation.  I did not ask for this at all, but it almost moved me to tears.

Toward the end of the Friday morning intercessory time, everybody goes up to the front of the chapel and stacks of cards (I think they're 4 x 6 cards) are passed out to each person.  On each card is the name of a pastor and the place where he or she ministers.  (If the pastor is retired or in transition, it may just include the pastor's name.)  One person reads a Bible verse and leads in a general prayer; then we each simultaneously read the names of each of the pastors out loud.  Finally, when all of the names have been read, we close with an "Amen".  I always find it interesting if the names of some clergy friends of mine are found on any of "my" cards when we do this exercise.  I was rather blessed that today I had the name: Dan Condon, Meeting Place Church.  (He is the pastor of the new English-speaking Assemblies of God church in Framingham.) 

When we finished, I had this thought:  "They probably don't have my name on one of these cards anymore.  Why would they?  I don't pastor a church and I'm not even likely to do so again."
No sooner had I finished that thought, when Jay Germaine, Dick's wife turned to me with a big smile.  "I did not get to pray for you in the small group today," she said, "but I had your name on one of my cards so I did get to pray for you!"

Boy, was that a surprise and an encouragement!

I have not yet told you what I will call "the frosting on the cake" about this morning:  I met a fellow Assemblies of God minister that I did not know.  He's a black African guy who is starting a brand new church in Milford, Massachusetts.  His name is Christophe Akagla and the church will be a multi-cultural church known as "The Mount of the Lord".   It turns our there are some mutual pastors we each know.  Christophe [like a lot of black African pastors] is young, happy, energetic, and friendly.  We had a chance to chit chat for a couple of minutes afterward in the parking lot.  He was so happy to meet me, and, well, that made me very happy!

Yes, it was kind of a "Friday Throwback" but more than that, it was a Divine appointment!

Incidentally, for more information about Barnabas Ministries, Inc., please check out:
http://www.barnabasministriesinc.org/

BRIAN HERR: DAVID verses GOLIATH

"So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David."  (I Samuel 17:50)

That sentence reports the results of the brave teenage boy David slaying the "giant" Philistine named Goliath.  Many of us learned that story as children.  I know my grandson Ben loves it.  Yet, it's not just a "story".  It's reality.  David and Goliath were no match for one another.  Mighty Goliath should have killed David in a matter of less than a minute.  That time the guy with everything going against him won!   (What he had going for him was his faith in God and his obedience to God, but that's a subject for another day!)

There's a great "David vs. Goliath" type political race going on in a New England state right now, and I suspect most who will read this piece are completely unaware of it and unfamiliar with it!   It's not the coming election for Massachusetts Governor between Coakley and Baker. It's not the coming election for U.S. Senator from New Hampshire between Jean Shaheen and Scott Brown.  It's not Question 3 on the Massachusetts ballot about whether casinos should be allowed in the state.  It's none of those.

How many of you know that there's an election in Massachusetts this November for a U.S. Senate seat?   I must admit that until very recently I did not know this!  A local radio station is running promotional pieces saying they'll have all the coverage of the elections for Governor and U.S. Senate.  I honestly assumed they were talking about the Shaheen/Brown race in New Hampshire- and it turns out they were not!    In fact, incumbent U.S. Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts is facing challenger Brian Herr on the ballot.  I had honestly assumed that Ed Markey was running unopposed.  I have heard almost nothing in the media about this election.  In fact, I did not know there was a Republican running against Markey until I voted in the Massachusetts Republican primary in September.  I was stunned to see a Republican listed as running for U.S. Senate.  I had never heard of Brian Herrr.  I figured he was just some party activist who'd agreed to be the "sacrificial lamb"- just putting his name down, not campaigning at all, and probably getting about 13% of the vote. 

It turns out I was dead wrong about that.

In the early days of writing my blog I wrote a fair amount about politics.  In more recent years, I've written very few political columns.  There are a number of reasons for that.  Twenty or more years ago, I was very much a "political junkie".  I was up to my eyeballs in politics.  I couldn't get enough of the stuff.  And, I was (frankly) an obnoxiously far right wing Republican.  Over the years, I've drifted much more toward the political center.  I've also become disillusioned with a lot of what makes up politics.  I've realized that America's hope is frankly in turning back to God in humility and repentance and not in electing any particular person or party.  Frankly, a lot of Democrats are nicer people than many Republicans are.  And, frankly, very few Republican or Democrat politicians are even close to being in the will of God.  I was very disappointed in the choice between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama for President.  I didn't like either one of them!  That's also what I'm going through regarding Martha Coakley and Charlie Baker for Governor this year in Massachusetts.  I honestly don't want either one!  If we put too much faith in politicians we will be very disappointed.  So, I did some real soul searching before writing this.  I don't agree with Brian Herr on all of the issues.  I know that most of my fellow evangelical Christians will be disappointed that he's strongly "pro choice" and that he strongly favors gay marriage.  I still think he's worth voting for over Ed Markey, however.

Brian Herr was a guest on Dan Rea's "Nightside" program on WBZ a few nights ago.  I expected to hear a boring, milquetoast sort of candidate.  Boy, was I wrong!  I did not know that Brian Herr had served for a number of years on the Hopkinton Board of Selectmen and Planning Board.  I did not know that he's a Marathon runner.  I did not know that he's a very articulate, energetic, and (dare I say it?) charismatic guy.  I did not know that he very seriously plans to win the election against Ed Markey!

I checked for publicity about Brian Herr on-line and I enjoyed seeing a photo of Brian and Dan Rea that was taken in the studio.  I have been a guest on "Nightside" in that very studio, myself!  And, I think the white casual shirt Dan is wearing in the photo is the same one he was wearing the night I was in there!  Honestly, I think Dan's lost a little weight, though!  I sent a short communication to Brian Herr about this, and was pleased to get a reply from a woman involved with his campaign.  She asked me to consider writing a piece on my blog about why I'm voting for him.  I wrote back that I'd "consider" doing it, and after a lot of thought, here it is!

Listen, I don't hate Ed Markey.  He seems like a nice guy.  I've shaken Ed Markey's hand at a Natick 4th of July parade.  Ed's done some good things, but he's been in Washington for way too long!   Ed Markey is a "Washington insider".   Frankly, Washington is broken.  I think it is time to send a bright, hard-working, "regular guy" like Brian Herr to Washington as our Senator. 

People who know me know that I'm a guy who believes in "underdogs" and who believes in "dreaming impossible dreams".  Some of you may know my favorite film is "Field of Dreams".  In my own life, many times I've been that Kevin Costner character sitting and watching my baseball field filling up with snow, wondering why Shoeless Joe Jackson did not show up.  Sometimes I think we are all too sensible.  Truly, a big part of me hates the notion that we have to "be sensible"!   No, it's not sensible for Brian Herr to give his all running for U.S. Senate against Ed Markey and actually think he can win.  It's a total "David vs. Goliath" thing.  But I admire what he's doing, and I'm planning to vote for him.

Whether you're liberal or conservative or somewhere in the middle...whether you're Democrat or Republican or independent:  I hope you'll do something that's not one bit sensible on Election Day.  I hope you'll cast a vote for Brian Herr.  Wouldn't it be cool if the "not sensible" people prevailed?!  Wouldn't it be cool if "David" won this time?!

Please check out:
www.herrsenate2014.com 
And, please pass this information on to your friends!

"Did you SEE that GUY?!"

"And they laughed him to scorn..." (from Mark 5:40)

The "Him" in that sentence is the Lord Jesus Christ.  The people who laughed him to scorn (believe it or not) were a group of "professional mourners"!  You'd have to read the whole passage to appreciate it.  I chose that short quote to illustrate the point that since a group also "laughed me to scorn" today, I guess I'm in good company!

Today, right around 12:30 in the early afternoon, I was driving in downtown Framingham.   You literally never know know what you're going to encounter driving or walking in downtown Framingham.  It's a complicated mess of streets, traffic lights, and railroad tracks, and all sorts of cars and trucks and pedestrians.  The one thing driving in downtown Framingham is not is relaxing!  Something that can really make things go from bad to worse in downtown Framingham traffic is a construction site in the middle of the road.  I know not all of you are familiar with Framingham.  For those of you who aren't, I guess you'll just have to use your imagination.   There was some sort of Verizon telephone work going on.  It was not on one of the poles.  Rather, there was a manhole cover open, and a big Verizon utility truck in the middle of the road with several workers milling around and doing one thing or another.  This was on Union Avenue, just a very short distance from the Memorial Building and the heart of downtown.  The truck was at the intersection of Proctor Street and William Welch Way (where the police station is).  That's a very busy and confusing spot.  I was planning to stop at the downtown post office and check to see if there was any mail in my post office box.  In order to do this, I would need to take a left turn onto Proctor Street.  (I was heading from the Memorial Building area toward the direction of Bowditch Field on Union Avenue.)  I put on my left turn signal.  At that very moment, a white van was coming in the opposite direction and the driver was signaling for her own left turn onto William Welch Way by the police station.  I stopped and made a point to stick my hand out the window and gesture for her to turn.  One of the workers watched me do this.  When she was done, I went into my own left turn to get onto Proctor Street and head down to the post office.  I did instantly encounter a PROBLEM!   As I was making the turn just past the big utility truck, I saw that I was actually somewhat past Proctor Street.  This was not going to be a quick and easy turn!  Proctor Street was just to the left  of where I needed it to be!  I started making the sharpest left turn I could possibly make, and I was still aiming into the sidewalk and just shy of Proctor Street. 

It gets worse.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!"

I looked and what to my wondering eyes did appear but a middle-aged police officer!   That was about that last person I wanted to see in that moment.  The look on his face was one of total disrespect and disgust.  The look said, "You're the stupidest, poorest excuse for a man I've ever seen, and you're the worst driver I've ever seen, you moron!"  No, he did not say that, but the look did.

I was now starting to back up slightly to try to reposition to make the turn.

"Stop backing up," he said with even more disrespect and disgust, "you're going to hit a car!"

He then said, "Just drive through the parking lot and onto the street!"

Now, there was a Brazilian restaurant's parking lot which I knew from the very beginning (of realizing I was in trouble) that I could easily have driven through to avoid the problem, but I am of the understanding that it's wrong and frankly illegal to just drive through a private parking lot for your own convenience.  Yes, it was nice to just drive through the parking lot, onto Proctor Street, and then on to the post office.  The worst part was what I heard as I pulled into that parking lot.

"Did you SEE that GUY?!" the cop bellowed out and the macho utility workers all had a big, macho belly laughs over it.

Yeah, I was laughed to scorn.

Now, think about this:   Is it not the cop's job to manage and direct traffic coming each way when working a detail at a utility work site like that?  (For those of you who do not live in Massachusetts, this whole scenario may seem very strange because in almost every other state, there are "flagmen" and "flagwomen" who work such details and who generally do a great job at it.  The police unions in Massachusetts have a sweetheart deal requiring police to be hired to work all such details- at big money.)  I never saw a cop until I was well into trying to make that left turn.  So much could have been done to make this situation easier for the driver.  Had I seen a cop and then put my signal on, if  he did not want me to make that turn he could have said, "I'm sorry sir but you can't take that turn right now."  Or, he could have said, "Sir, just drive through the parking lot to the street."  Or, they could have posted a bright orange "sandwich board" kind of sign reading, "NO LEFT TURN", or "NO TURNS DUE TO CONSTRUCTION".   All of that would have solved the problem.  If the cop was supposed to give me guidance as a driver coming on an unexpected and confusing situation, he pretty much failed at it.  And, there was certainly no reason to treat me, a guy who has not had a traffic accident since 1985 (and that one was not my fault) and who has had very few traffic tickets as though I were such a terrible driver and a moron!

I honestly found myself giving this a lot of thought today.  I guess you have to have the mind of a pastor or a writer (and of course, I've been both) to think of this, but I began thinking of how evangelical Christians treat "unsaved" and "unchurched" visitors to our churches who don't have a clue about spiritual things or about the evangelical church culture and "language".  Sometimes we do a great job welcoming them.  But sadly, other times, we (perhaps without meaning to) treat them with disrespect and disgust when one enthusiastically remarks that she's "pro choice" or "loves Howard Stern" or asks when told, "Turn to the Book of Romans"- "Is that in the OLD Testament?"

I remember hearing a story of a guy bringing an "unsaved" friend who was in recovery to the exterior door of an evangelical church on a Sunday morning.  The "unsaved" friend had a lit cigarette in his mouth.

"Put that OUT!"  the "greeter" at the door barked with disgust- well, with the same attitude the cop had with me today!

Now, listen, I don't favor smoking on church grounds or inside a church facility, but there is a kind and sensitive way to handle a situation like this so that the person does not feel "rejected" and like a total jerk.  I honestly don't think that visitor ever came back to that church.

Yes, I was laughed to scorn today.  But it did give me some stuff to think about.

STORY THAT GIVES A SMILE!

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."   (Proverbs 17:22)

My father, Eugene A. "Gene" Baril passed away in 2000.  He'd be over ninety years old if he were living today.  Dad was a very complicated guy.  He spent many years in law enforcement, starting as a Boston Police officer in the early 1950s and retiring as a Supervisor at the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles in the early 1980s.  Dad was a very strict father, a perfectionist, and had a very serious side.  Nevertheless, there was also a side of Gene Baril that was hysterically funny.  He had a magnificent sense of humor, was a good storyteller, and sometimes would be struck funny by some of the most unlikely of life's incidents which would render him helplessly laughing with seemingly no ability to stop laughing- almost to the point of crying!   This story from his youth vividly illustrates his "funny side":

Somewhere around 1940 when my father was in his late teens, he had to pose for a very important portrait.  I've wondered if this was for his high school yearbook photo, but I honestly don't think that's what it was.  I do remember that it was a very important portrait and that it had to be taken at a specific photography studio somewhere in the city of Boston.  Dad told this story a few times, and I've even heard my mother tell an abbreviated version of the story (although my mother was generally not one you'd consider to be a captivating storyteller).  Despite the many times I've heard the story, there are some key details I'd love to know, and I'm not sure why I never asked for more details. Now that my parents have each passed on, I'll have to present what I do know of this tale.  My father went by himself to the photography studio.  The photographer was an older man; perhaps he was in his sixties as I am today.  I know he was of foreign origin; having come to America from eastern Europe.  I picture the studio as old.  I picture it as rather dark and a bit imposing.  I can imagine the smells of developing fluids in the place; not overwhelming smells, but just enough odor that you know you were in a place where developing chemicals were used.  I picture the camera and other equipment as old; perhaps dating from the 1900s or 1910s.   I imagine the chairs, stools, and other furniture as old, also. 

It's not difficult to imagine how a young man in his late teens would feel upon entering such an establishment and meeting an older guy who was culturally eastern European.  At that young age, you just kind of want to take care of business as quickly as possible and quickly get out of there!  I can imagine the photographer sitting my father on a stool, and manipulating the positioning of his hands and his legs and his head, and even adjusting his tie and his suit jacket.  

Now, in order to really appreciate what my father heard that day, I want you to think of the word "give"; but I want you to think of the word "give" being mispronounced.  Think of "give" sounding as if it could rhyme with the word "heave".  That word would sound like "geave".  Even so, "geave" is not quite right.  It needs to have a little more of an "f" sound and a little less of a "v" sound; maybe like "geafvfe".  Yes, I think that's perfect.

There was my Dad, in his late teens, in that dark old photography studio sitting on that old stool looking at that old camera and at the old ethnic man operating the camera.  There was my Dad feeling so awkward and uncomfortable and just wanting to get out of there.  There was my Dad thinking, "I just want to get out of here.  If this doesn't get over with fast, I'm liable to burst out laughing."  It got very quiet.  It got very tense.  Fifteen seconds suddenly felt like fifteen hours.  Then, a stark breaking of the silence as my father heard the following from the photographer:

"Now, geafvfe a little smile."

That was all it took!

Out of my father's belly erupted instant hysterical laughter!  Have you ever seen the episode of The Three Stooges where they're under the influence of laughing gas?  Well, I imagine it was like that.  Dad laughed hysterically and uncontrollably.  He couldn't possibly pose for a photograph to be taken!  He laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed- harder, and harder, and harder, and harder!  He laughed until he was almost crying!  He laughed until he had almost lost all bodily control!  He laughed on and on and on and on!  His laughing just did not stop!

Dad got up (laughing) and staggered out of that photography studio!  There was no way that photo was going to be taken that day!

But, now Dad was facing a real problem.  He had to have that picture taken.  It was very important.  I'm not sure how many times he may have tried to go back to the studio and have the picture taken.  Somehow I can picture him walking there only to put his hand on the exterior door, burst out laughing, and be unable to enter the place!   Eventually, however, he did go back.  He walked into the studio.  He exercised agonizing discipline to keep from laughing or feeling silly at all.  I know that as an adult, my father would think of dead loved ones to try to keep from laughing in certain situations.  Dad managed to speak to the photographer, to get back onto the stool, to go through all the preparations, to come to the fifteen seconds that seemed like fifteen hours again.  Everything was done all over again.  Amazingly, the photographer had not recognized him and was not aware that this was the young man who'd had a hysterical meltdown in the studio. 

Following the fifteen seconds and the tension, the words were spoken:

"Now, geafvfe a little smile."

It happened again!  Yes, it happened all over again!  The instant, hysterical, uncontrollable laughter, again!

"You!" the angry and bewildered photographer yelled, "You!  YOU!!"

I don't know why, but several weeks ago, I thought of that story, completely "out of the blue" as it were!  And as I thought of the words: 

"Now, geafvfe a little smile."

a big smile formed on my face and I began to chuckle!

I honestly don't know if that photograph ever got taken!  Somehow, I don't think it did!  If it did, it had to have been done by another photographer.

I've not only inherited my father's talent for storytelling and his tendency to laugh hysterically at the most inappropriate times, but I've also inherited my mother's tendency toward deep depression and hopelessness.  I've walked through many low moments over the past few years.  I've got to tell you, thinking of that story and having that smile form and the happy chuckling that followed sure felt good!  It's ironic that an incident from over seventy years ago would bring such a smile and feeling of happiness to me.  It's especially ironic that it came after I mentally heard the words

"Now, geafvfe a little smile."!

The memory of this story came to me seemingly "out of nowhere".  Our Lord knows that "a merry heart does good like a medicine" as His Word proclaims!   I  choose to believe that God brought this back to my memory to bring me a laugh and to brighten my day!   I know most who read this piece will have never known my father,  but I hope as you picture that nervous teenage boy and his fits of uncontrollable laughter that you'll also at the very least "geafvfe a little smile!".

P.S.  There are very few photos of my father that can be found on-line, but at the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles website is an article about the early history of license plates in the state.  At the link below is that article which incluces a photo of my father taken around 1980 when he was in his late fifties.  He's on the left in the photo holding the first Massachusetts license plate and on the right is plate collector Stu Berg holding the state's first Dealer plate.
http://www.massrmv.com/rmv/history/ 

A 60th BIRTHDAY WISH

"...remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive."  (From Acts 20:35)

The following is the text of an e-mail I sent out to a number of friends last week.  I have received (I think) seven enthusiastic responses about it.  However, I was honestly surprised that there were only seven responses.  I guess sometimes I'm very naive and sometimes I very unrealistic, but I fully expected to hear from three or four times that number of people!  I know this piece is very long;  maybe it's too long!   My daughter Rachel thought it was too long, however, she "edited it down" and posted it on her own Facebook page and strongly encouraged people to participate in this 60th Birthday wish of mine.  I will always be grateful that Rachel did that!  Since writing this, I've sent off my contributions to each ministry and charity I named.  No, they weren't huge amounts, but boy did it feel good to give!   I've decided to give this thing one more try today.   I hope you'll give it some thought and prayer!  Thanks and God bless you!  Well, here's the text of what I wrote ten days ago:


September 2, 2014

A 60th BIRTHDAY WISH:

From Bob Baril.
My Facebook page is:

https://www.facebook.com/bob.baril.7

(Even if you're not a Facebook Member, you should be able to VIEW my Facebook page.)

It does not seem possible that on Sept. 19, 2014, I turn 60 years old! 

I vividly remember turning 40 in 1994.  I was miserable.  Our church had bought a building and seemingly NOTHING was going right with this purchase.  I already felt very depressed and like an absolute failure; but then turning 40 really got me down!  Honestly, I acted like a whining obnoxious baby when I turned 40 and I probably made most of the people closest to me frustrated, miserable, or both!

Ten years later, I very much wanted to make up for my sadness and "being a jerk" at 40!  I decided to make turning 50 a big, happy celebration.  My 50th birthday fell on a Sunday.  At the time, I was still pastoring that small church.  I made a big deal of it and invited all sorts of friends and relatives to church that Sunday and to a big birthday dinner celebration at a local restaurant.  My close friend Ed from Texas came and was the guest speaker that day.  It WAS a much better event than was my 40th.  In retrospect, however, as great as that event was, the mistake I made with that celebration was it was all about me...probably just too much so.

Now, don't get me wrong:  I certainly look forward to having a special birthday dinner or two with family and friends this year; and I always enjoy birthday cake and ice cream!  And, hey, should anybody decide to give me any sort of a present, I'll be most happy and most grateful!

HOWEVER, over the past few weeks, I've been giving this whole thing about the "milestone" of turning 60 a lot of thought.  I want to CELEBRATE it and have fun this year- NOT be depressed and a jerk like when I was 40.  But I also DON'T want to just have this big "it's all about ME" atmosphere like I promoted when I was 50.

At 60, in so many ways, I'm not where I wanted to be in life at this point.  (Many of you know the losses and disappointments of the past 5 years or so.)  At THIS age, I wanted to have a LOT more...NOT so I could "eat, drink, and be merry"- NO.  But I really LOVE giving... and at this age, I wanted to be the kind of a guy that could write out several large checks to several ministries and charitable organizations I really care about, AND be able to do that several times a year every year!   I can't do that, and believe me, I have deep regret about that.
Recently, I asked myself what the ministries and charitable organizations are that I really care about and that I'd write large checks out to on the occasion of turning 60 IF I were able to do that.  There are six of them.  Four are ministries, and two are secular charitable organizations.

Within the next few days, I plan to make a donation to EACH of these organizations.  Some of those donations may be as little as $5, but my feeling is, "It's SOMETHING".  In addition, I've had A THOUGHT:  What if I asked people I care about to make donations to these six in honor of my turning 60?  And, that's what I'm doing here.  Listen, I'm ASKING, and you may say "yes" or "no".  AND, I am NOT asking anyone to make a donation to every one of these six!  Rather, I'm asking that you take ONE of them and make a donation.   IF you want to comment that you're making a donation in honor of a friend's 60th birthday, you certainly may do that, but it's probably BETTER if you DON'T say anything about that at all!  Just send the donation!   If you're afraid of being added to a mailing list, just (if possible) make a notation to that effect. 

AND,  what would really be exciting is if you forward this to a friend of yours who may not even know me, but who might be willing to add to this effort.  I can't make HUGE donations to any or all of these fine ministries and charitable organizations, BUT if quite a few people made donations to them- big or small, THAT would be just as good and would really make me VERY HAPPY on the occasion of this 60th birthday!

There's a poignant old song lyric which opens with the words, "Try to remember a kind of September..."
I'd love to make THIS September of 2014 a September to remember!  Though I may be unable to do MYSELF what I'd love to do; I'd be thrilled to have a bunch of friends band together for such a good and Godly purpose this September.

NOW, these are the SIX ministries and charitable organizations:

1.  The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.  No organization helped me more with my own discipleship and Christian growth than did that organization in the early 1970s.  They're still very much alive and are doing a great work of evangelism and discipleship!  You can donate to them online, or you can get information on how to mail them a check, if you'd prefer:

http://billygraham.org/give/give-online/


2.  Convoy of Hope.  Convoy of Hope is affiliated with the Assemblies of God, but this practical "hands on" organization helps ANYONE in need and works with many, many faith groups.   They send in "Eighteen wheelers" loaded with clothing, food, and medical supplies to large and small cities all over North America (and have done so in several foreign countries).  This ministry REALLY makes a difference!   Find out more about Convoy of Hope and how you can donate on-line or by sending a check at:

http://www.convoyofhope.org


3.  Good Samaritan Project.  I've been to rural Haiti twice and my daughter Amy has done medical missionary work there on three occasions.  I've not specifically been to THIS ministry in Haiti, but I have been very impressed with the work of (Baptist) Pastor Jean Enock Deroseney in Grand-Goave, Haiti.  (Grand-Goave is very close to the epicenter of the January 2010 earthquake.)  The needs there in Grand-Goave are STARK!  You can learn more about this ministry and learn how you can give on-line OR mail a check to their Florida office:

http://www.gsphaiti.org/


4.  Your Local Church's Missions.  If you're a part of a good local church which has a missions budget and has a number of missionaries they support, you really should get behind that effort.  Drop a check in next Sunday's offering earmarked for the church's Missions program and you'll be a real blessing!  Now, if you are not part of such a church but you'd like to support local church missions, I have the link to the church I belong to which is Bread of Life Church in Westminster, MA.  Their address is listed at their website, and THERE IS ALSO A WAY YOU CAN GIVE ON-LINE USING PAYPAL.  It's all explained at their site.  Just remember to designate the gift for MISSIONS.

http://www.breadoflife-ma.org/


5.  Samaritans USA.  We have heard a lot in the news lately about the need for suicide prevention.  The issue of suicide prevention is one that I care a lot about and that has touched me very deeply.  The Samaritans do a lot of good with their crisis hotlines and other outreaches.  I know they have a chapter in Framingham, Massachusetts, but they've got a number of others, as well.  Honestly, I'm NOT sure if you are able to donate on-line to Samaritans, but you CAN get addresses where you can send donations, and you can learn more about the organization:

http://www.samaritansusa.org


6.  Alzheimers Association.  My father suffered with Alzheimer's Disease and lived into the very sad "late" stages of the disease.  A number of my other relatives have suffered with Alzheimer's Disease, as well.  This is a charity I care about.  More information available at:

http://www.alz.org/join_the_cause_donate.asp

THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH!
BOB BARIL

WORDS OF HOPE LEAPING OFF THE PAGES

"...a word spoken in due season, how good is it!"  (Proverbs 15:23)

This is one of those posts anybody can read and think about, but it's particularly intended for mature Christians.  The most important part of my day is my "devotions", or what could also be called my "devotional life".  I know that's "evangelical Christian-ese" which is not understood by large numbers of people.  The fact is that when somebody truly comes to know Jesus Christ as his or her "Personal Savior and Lord", there are changes that will come to that person's life.   Most people would think that spending (say) an hour or so a day reading the Bible and praying would be like serving "detention" in middle school.  When you come to know and love the Lord, however, you value the time spent in talking to Him in prayer and reading from His Holy Word.   When I became an evangelical Christian in my mid-teens, reading the Bible was often not all that exciting or interesting.  It frequently seemed like a chore.   (Ever try reading through the Book of Leviticus, for instance?!)  

After over forty years, however, I have seen the value of reading through the Bible over and over, even though at times it can be "dry".  In time, you notice a lot of "hidden" things in the Bible you just never noticed before; and you and notice some amazing common themes and even common threads that can be quite exciting!  I had one of those "common thread" experiences today.   I've used different patterns for devotional Bible reading through the years, and several times I've "changed it up" to make it fresh.  It's been about seventeen years now that I've had a particular reading pattern.   One day I read a New Testament chapter.  The next day I read another New Testament chapter.  And, the next day I read an Old Testament chapter.  I pretty much go through the Bible in order.  It takes a little over a year to go through the New Testament and it takes about eight years to go through the Old Testament.  However, I do insert special readings for special occasions.  For instance, on Christmas Eve, I might read Matthew 2, and on Christmas Day, I might read Luke 2.  I buy a blank journal toward the end of every calendar year, and I "lay out" the schedule of Bible readings I'm going to follow for the upcoming year.  Honestly, it's tedious doing that.  I don't look forward to all that writing and layout work, but later on, I'm so glad I did.  I will be stunned when there's a day of heavy rain in April and my Bible passage talks about heavy rain.  Or, on some day in February, I was disturbed by hearing someone's destructive gossip, and I'll do my Bible reading and it's about the danger of gossip!  Things like that are not a coincidence:  this is the work of the Holy Spirit!

Yesterday's Bible reading passage for me was Genesis 32.  It's the story of when Jacob is about to "meet" his estranged brother Esau for the first time in twenty years.  Jacob hears that Esau is on his way with four hundred men.  Jacob is terrified.  Today's Bible reading passage was Acts 27.  Listen, if you easily get seasick, I don't recommend that you read Acts 27.  It's the story of a terrible storm; really a "perfect storm" as in the movie.   Paul and Luke are on board a ship in the middle of the Mediterranean.  I know we think of guys like Paul and Luke as giants of the faith, but verse 20 of Acts 27 tells us that everybody on that ship lost all their hope of surviving that voyage.  Everybody- even Paul and Luke.  They all became hopeless.  This, like Jacob's plight in Genesis 32, was also a terrifying time.

I would never have thought that there's a common thread running through Genesis 32 and Acts 27 but today the Holy Spirit showed me that there absolutely is.  You see, over two years prior to that perfect storm, the Lord Himself had appeared to Paul (who was a prisoner in dire straits in those days) and told him to be encouraged and that one day he would travel to Rome.   (At the time, Paul was located in what we now call Israel.)  That's found in Acts 23:11.  Paul had held tightly to that promise.  It got him through the next two years.  And, similarly, God had told Jacob in Genesis 31:12-13 and reiterated in Genesis 32:9 to return to the area he'd originally come from and that things would go well for him.   Both had specific and definite promises from God.  Both were on journeys.  Both faced circumstances which were terrifying and which made the promise from God look false and like it was not going to happen!  Listen, this could be developed into a whole sermon, and perhaps someday I will develop that sermon and preach it!  I don't want to go into too much detail, but Genesis 32 is the chapter where Jacob wrestles with God!  I know some folks say he wrestled with an angel.  That's not what it says.  Specifically, it says he wrestled with a man, but the chapter indicates it was God in human form!  (Was it Jesus Christ in pre-incarnate form?  I think so!)  Jacob tells his wrestling opponent that he will not let go until He blesses him, and God does mightly bless him there!  At that point, God changes Jacob's name to Israel!   And, for Paul in that horrible situation on the ship in the midst of the storm, an angel of God speaks to Paul and tells him that despite how things look, the ship will be destroyed but that not one person on board that ship will perish!  

In the next chapter in Genesis, there is a meeting between Esau and Jacob.  Twenty years earlier, Esau hated Jacob and wanted him dead, but things had changed.  Esau was very cordial and it was a pleasant meeting.  And, the ship carrying Paul and company wrecks off the coast of Malta, but amazingly, the passengers all make it to land.  In the following chapter, several months later, Paul finally arrives in Rome!

Listen, I know the reality of God having made promises to me, yet my circumstances are the exact opposite of what God has promised!  I know the reality of terror, doubt, and hopelessness.  I'm not proud of that, but I do.  Well, so did Jacob and Paul!  I got so much out of my devotional reading today!  I was reminded that despite my own depression and hopelessness at times, God knows the journey I'm on.  He also knows the promises he's made to me and He will keep his Word!

Honestly, I'd love to receive any feedback you have on this one!

"HOW DO I KNOW WHAT MY DIVINE PURPOSE/DESTINY IS?!"

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."  (Isaiah 55:8-9)

"This says I'm to put my energy and attention into my Divine purpose and destiny;

How do I know what my Divine purpose and destiny is?!"

Wow.  From my point of view, what a "loaded" question!  The answer to it is quite paradoxical, for the answer is both very simple and very profound.  One of my co-workers vocalized that question today.  I'm not sure if she was looking for specific answers; if she was really addressing it to anyone, or if it was more like she was thinking aloud.  I know there are those zealous Christians who would say I should have stood up and answered it right then and there; ignoring the job and responsibilities of the moment.  That, however, would have been completely outside of God's will and would in fact (by my very inappropriate behavior) have given the wrong answer to the question.

I don't know if the woman had any idea what a profound question she was asking.  Someone could easily write a twelve-hundred page book in an attempt to answer that question.  I'm not quite up to a twelve-hundred page book, but I was so impacted by her question that I felt I had to attempt to write an answer to it. 

Simply put, the answer is found in what Jesus says (from the Sermon on the Mount) in the sixth chapter of Matthew's Gospel:

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."  (Matthew 6:33)

Yeah, it's that simple- and that profound.  We've got to be thinking and acting and living in accord with what God wants and desires for us, and not according to our own selfish plans and motives.  On our own, our whole pattern of living is, well, wrong!   That's the point of the verses from Isaiah that I opened with.  On our own, we don't think like God thinks, we don't act like God acts, and we don't live like God wants us to live.  Now, someone might well object to what I'm writing here, saying, "Hey, this is not about God's holiness; this is about a cool, meaningful, enjoyable, fulfilling, happy lifestyle for each of us!  It is about what we want!"  No.  It's when we do what we want to do that we get into trouble!   To find God's destiny and plan and purpose for us, we need to tune ourselves out and we need to tune into God!

Psalm 37:4 speaks of a person being given his or her heart's desire.  Boy, we like that one!  That's a great verse!  That's a great promise.  But read it carefully.  It says:

"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."   (Psalm 37:4)

Yes, we are to delight in the Lord- in Him- in His ways and purposes.  And, it doesn't mean we'll then get all kinds of selfish, foolish junk that we're secretly craving.  It means that ultimately His desires will become our desires. 

If I'm coming across as some sort of "holier than thou" person, that's not my intention.  The fact is, truly yielding to the Lord and His will can be very difficult.  Now, it's not really supposed to be difficult, but it can be.  We make it difficult.  Have you ever seen how a little kid will stall and stall about picking up his toys or cleaning his room, even when promised a reward for doing so?   It becomes absurd.  The child makes the whole situation a hundred times harder than it needs to be; only because he's trying to exert his own selfish and lazy will!  We all do the same thing- too often.

I don't want to go into great detail, but I've not actively pastored a church for over four years.  A lot of professional doors have been closed to me.  I've experienced a number of other losses that are far too personal to write about.  The fact is, a lot of this came about in my own life because like too many pastors, I thought that the church I pastored was mine and that the life I was living and planning was mine.  I made the mistake that too many pastors make- of thinking I had everything under control and nothing could interfere with it.  And, it all toppled.  As painful as the losses have been, in many respects I forgot about Matthew 6:33 and Psalm 37:4.  And, I guess I forgot about Isaiah 55:8-9, too.  Now, don't get me wrong, I believe God has good things in store for me and a good future ahead for me, but I'm just saying no one is immune to messing up in this area- not even pastors!

My answer to that woman and anyone else who would ask that question about God's purpose and destiny is to take inventory of your life.  Is there "stuff" that is not in line with God's purpose and destiny?  Well, that's got to go!  Well, really the first thing that's got to go is the whole, "I'm as good as the next person- God doesn't expect the impossible from me!"  attitude.  Yes, He does!  That's why we need Jesus!  None of us could ever please God on our own- ever!  We need Jesus, and not just in some superficial way.  We need Jesus one-hundred percent!   Every one of us deserves to go to Hell.  I do.  Jesus Christ came to die for our sins and pay the eternal penalty for our sins, so we don't ever have to go to Hell.  But (see John 1:12) we must receive Him.  We must be born again, as it says in John chapter three.  Each person must admit he or she is a sinner, must admit her or she hasn't got it all together, and must ask Jesus to come into his or her heart to one-hundred percent be their Personal Savior.   That's called being "born again".  That's the beginning.

The problem is that a lot of Christians have this "fire insurance";  but they have not gone much further with God. They still have their plans and their ways and their (well) everything.  They plan out their lives and run their lives and just ask God to stamp His blessing on it.  That's not at all what God wants of us.  He wants us to seek Him.  He want us to get out of the way and listen to Him.   (Perhaps the best way to listen to Him is to spend time in His Word, the Bible.)  When we do that stuff, He will lead and guide us into paths that most of us would probably not have taken on our own, but that will lead to the very best and most fulfilling lives we could ever imagine.  Right now, I'm very earnestly endeavoring to do this- to try to get Bob Baril out of the way and the Lord front and center.  Honestly, I have not mastered this!  It's a daily walk. 

But here's a great illustration:   I've written a lot of fluff and foolishness on my blog over the years.  My blog is just something I've mostly fooled around with as a hobby.  But writing a piece like this makes a person very vulnerable.  You can come across as judgmental or "holier than thou" as I wrote above.  You can make people uncomfortable.  You can risk being thought of as some sort of a radical, Bible-thumping nut, totally out-of-step with the twenty-first century.  As I pondered this, I absolutely considered not writing this piece.   Bob Baril wants to be popular, funny, and liked.  I don't want to be thought of as an Old Testament prophet like Jeremiah who had few friends and faced a lot of rejection.  Today, I had the choice to take the risk and write this piece, or just be "cool" and forget about it.  Well, I chose to obey the Lord and I wrote it.  

Do you want to follow God's destiny and purpose for your life?  Then you've got to become a Matthew 6:33 person.  You've got to be willing to allow God to make radical changes in your life.  You've got to be willing to risk losing friends and even family in some cases.  But there are riches in the Lord that are worth more than all of Bill Gates' money.  The most Godly woman I ever knew was the late Opal Reddin.   She taught at Central Bible College.  Her husband became very ill with heart disease and died.  It was hard for her, but she absolutely walked and lived in and through the Holy Spirit.  You could just feel the presence of the Lord around her, and she was very humble.  The most Godly man I eve knew was the late Norman Milley, Sr.  He worked construction in the Boston area for decades.  He worked with guys who used the foulest language and lived like the Devil.  Yet, this man was a giant of the faith.  Believe me, those guys who worked with him trembled when he walked by, the power of God was so evident in his life!  I also remember that I could just feel the presence of God around him.  He was tall and had a head of thick white hair.  I think he must have looked like the prophet Samuel.  Listen, I want to be a person like Opal Reddin was and like Norman Milley, Sr. was.  That's living in God's purpose and God's destiny!