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​Guilt
I stood staring at the scales in disbelief. I was in the Doctor’s office, weighing on the same scales I’ve stood on for five years. Somehow, in four weeks’ time, I had gained 17 pounds.
 
I was left in the exam room to deal with my demons. “You idiot! How could you have gained that much weight that fast?” “Your fifth-grade teacher told you that you would always be fat, because you can’t control yourself!” “Remember what Coach Hobbs said? He said you loved food more than football, and that if you loved football enough, you’d shed the extra pounds.” “Remember Dr. Smith? He told you years ago that you’d better start eating right, or you would be a really heavy man someday.”
 
I’m really good at guilt. Person after person, and scene after scene from my past all joined in chorus in that exam room: “you’ve always been fat, and you will always be fat!”
 
The only thing that ended the self-shaming was when the Doctor walked into the room. “Mr. Gilbert, we’ve messed up your medication. All that weight you’ve gained has got to be from that.” By the time I removed my shoes and socks, it was evident where all that extra weight was residing: in my feet and around my ankles. Fluid retention. It could all be fixed by changing me back to the medication they had discontinued. She reassured me that all my lab reports looked good. My diabetes remains well-controlled. It was just a medication change that didn’t go as planned.
 
I’ll say it again: I’m really good at guilt. It’s likely that you are, too. Voices from our past, and demons we see every time we look in the mirror try to convince us that we’re no good, and we’ll never be any good. Some carry guilt for past behaviors. Some carry guilt for past failures. Some carry guilt for not living up to their potential. Yet, the stain of guilt sticks out in our souls like black ink spilled on a white garment. We’re so good at messing up, and even better at reminding ourselves of how bad we are. “If anybody really knew how bad I am…”
 
The Bible doesn’t hide the reality of our wrongdoings, but it does offer the rest of the story. Jesus died on a Roman cross, a righteous, sinless man giving his life to pay my penalty. I don’t have to listen to the messages from my demons. Instead, I hear the words of a loving Savior, “All is forgiven.”
 
We’ve been singing these words each Sunday during Lent: No guilt in Life, no fear in death. This is the power of Christ in me.
 
It’s time to get off the guilt train. Fire your demons. Love your Savior. Then, you can love yourself. No guilt. No guilt. No guilt.
 
Welcome to worship. What we do here matters.
 

Spring has Sprung!

4/3/2019

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​Every year it makes its trek from wherever it’s stored, and moves into my closet.  It’s a blue sweater from thirty years ago that has rarely ever been worn.  In the winter of 2018-2019, it was never worn at all.  So, why does it take up space?
 
It’s simple, really.  It is the warmest sweater I have ever owned.  The label says it’s made of 100% boiled wool.  I’m not sure what boiled wool is, but there are probably a lot of upset sheep!
 
So, it’s incredibly warm.  And incredibly itchy.  And indestructible.  It hangs around, waiting for one of those Polar Vortex days where the temperature starts below zero and never rises above zero.  When that day arrives, the sweater comes out of the closet and goes onto my body. Over the past few years, that sweater has been useful at times when I had to be outside, regardless of the weather.  I wore it to a funeral once.  No one noticed it under my topcoat, but it saved the day for me. My ears almost fell off from exposure, but what my sweater covered, it protected.  I remember another time I wore that sweater.  The battery on my car died.  It was eighteen degrees below zero where we lived at the time.  I stood out in the cold, protected by my sweater, and installed a new battery in my car.
 
It does what it does remarkably well.  Still, you can imagine that it takes a certain kind of day for the sweater to display its real value.  I’m guessing all our Polar Vortex days are over for this year, so my sweater is going back to storage.  I’m hopeful that Spring has sprung!
 
My understanding of the church is that we all have our gifts and talents, and we all have responsibilities to keep the Body of Christ functioning as it should.  From fixers to singers to teachers to encouragers, we’ve each been gifted to do something for the Body of Christ. I hope that each of us will do what we do well.  Somebody needs just what you can do.  Use those gifts and abilities, and in doing so, fulfill your purpose.
 
See you Sunday.  I likely won’t be wearing a blue sweater, but in case of a cold snap, that may all change!  What we do here matters.
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    ​Pastor Dale

    Dale has been in ministry for over forty years. He's a teacher, singer, and story teller.

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  • Home
  • New to Pleasant View
  • Announcements
  • Church Calendar & Newsletter
  • Missions
    • Maize for Malawi
    • Queen City Baptist Church
    • Dzaleka Refugee Camp, Malawi
  • Ministries
    • Pre-school
    • Children's Ministry
    • Youth Ministry
    • Young Adult Ministry
    • Adult Ministries >
      • JOY Fellowship - Senior Adults
    • Bible Studies
    • Music Ministry
    • Hispanic Ministry - Manantial de Vida
    • Prayer Ministry
    • Helping Hands
    • Food Pantry & New Hope Outreach
  • Church Online
  • Online Giving
  • Pastor's Blog
  • From the Second Chair
  • Our Team
  • Contact