King of the Cowboys

King of the Cowboys

I opened a Birthday card from a friend and there on the cover was a photo of Roy Rogers! Just like in the movies, he had on his cowboy hat, western shirt and leather riding gloves. He was smiling and wishing me “Happy Trails until we meet again.”

If you grew up in the 50’s and 60’s you remember Roy Rogers and Dale Evans in the movies, on black and white TV, and appearing in person at special events. With his horse Trigger, Roy was always the good guy and he always caught the bad guys. Back then it was easy to tell who was who because Roy wore a white cowboy hat and the bad guys wore black ones.

Even though I never did, I remember you could join the Roy Rogers Riders Club. All you had to do was send in your name to Roy and he would send you a special RoyGram confirming your membership. This entitled you to special privileges so long as you adhered to the Roy Rogers Riders Rules; a strict code of cowboy conduct:

·      Be neat and clean

·      Be courteous and polite

·      Always obey your parents

·      Protect the weak and help them

·      Be brave but never take chances

·      Study hard and learn all you can

·      Be kind to animals and take care of them

·      Eat all your food and never waste any

·      Love God and go to Sunday School regularly

·      Always respect our flag and our country

Many years have come and gone. Our culture has changed. Yet there is something foundational in what Roy taught us. The Bible says, “Point your kids in the right direction; when they’re old they won’t be lost.”

Riding My Bike

Riding My Bike

It’s been a long time since I was on a bike. In fact, the last time I rode a bike any distance was when I was in high school. Back then I had a Schwinn one speed with wide handlebars, no fenders and only a pedal brake. Compared to today’s bikes it was a poor excuse for two wheeled transportation. That bike took me everywhere I wanted to go.

Last spring I suggested to Judy that we look around for some new bikes that we could ride around the neighborhood. Thinking of spending a few hundred dollars for two old peoples’ bikes, I quickly discovered that the bike world had changed. I was told that I would be lucky to find a bike for under $500. That was real sticker shock.

After some serious searching, we found two Giant Sedona DX Hybrid bikes. They are built for casual riders who like a comfy ride with 24 speeds. Wow! These are a big upgrade from my old Schwinn. With a few add-ons like fenders, a digital speedometer, and a bell that sounds like the ice cream truck, I now pedal all over the neighborhood in style. I am getting in shape for a 13-mile ride coming up this fall.

Recently, I found a quote on Facebook. It describes how I feel on my bike: “When I ride my bike, I feel free and happy and strong; liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent my bike is my house, my fighter jet, my island, and my friend. Together we shall conquer that hill and thereafter the world.”

I just have to remember that I am 71 and not 16. I have to force myself to slow down and pay attention to what I am doing. Bikes don’t come with seat belts only helmets if you chose to wear them. Happy is the man who can return to the days of his youth and ride a bike!

A Little Town On The Prairie

A Little Town On The Prairie

I was born and raised in a large metro area. I had read about life in small towns in distant places but never had the desire to live there. The advantages of big city life blinded me to reality on a smaller scale. And so another adventure begins.

On a map, Havre, Montana is located on U.S. Highway 2 as you head west toward Glacier National Park. It is approximately 45 miles south of the Canadian border and sits almost dead center between the North Dakota and Idaho state line. You can get there by road, rail and sometimes by air. Target, Sam’s Warehouse and Costco are a good drive away. However you can shop Kmart, Wal-Mart and Cavalier’s Men and Boys right in town.

The town’s original name was Bullhook Bottoms. Later it was given a more respectable name, Havre, after the French city Le Havre, France. The town grew as the Great Northern Railroad built a service and repair shop there. It was an ideal location situated halfway between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Seattle. A statue of James J. Hill, the founder of the Great Northern, stands in front of the Amtrak station in the center of town.

I write this to give background to the town Judy and I moved to with our kids in the late ‘80’s to start a church. After living in a rental for the first year, we bought a home and settled into small town life. Havre became home and its people became our friends. Our kids grew up in a nice neighborhood and attended good schools. Looking back, we have many fond memories of this little town on the prairie.

If you ever get a chance to visit Glacier Park, make sure you stop by Havre. It is a welcome oasis on the vast expanse of northern Montana. When you do stop by, make sure you say hi to our friends and the Ark Church. Havre may not be a big city but it has a big heart. Havre has it!

Grandkids

Grandkids

After years of responsibility and worry raising our four children, now comes the parade of four wonderful, healthy, intelligent and good looking grandkids. Am I bragging? Yes I am.

Abigail is our first grandchild. She is seven going on thirteen and ready to start the second grade in the fall. She was born in Minnesota but she has a Montana heart for sure. Just to see her run, jump and smile is a delight. She is smart and doesn’t let grandpa get by with much.

Ella is five and a native Montana girl. She is a little shy with strangers but her million-dollar smile melts my heart. She is so excited to start kindergarten this fall in the same school with Abby. Watch out boys, Ella is going to steal your heart.

Then there is Sophia; an Oregon girl. Now here is a girl that has a mind of her own. She just turned four and can talk your ear off. She can drive the riding lawnmower, read books to the chickens she is raising and run like a wild woman. The look in her eyes will make you think twice before saying No.

Ben is two and a native Montanan. With that bushy blond hair you can’t help but want to hug him. He is into everything but particularly likes knobs, switches, buttons and anything that responds to his touch. He is fast afoot and when he hears the word “no”, he has a fit! A real boy: noise with dirt on it.

I confess it is getting harder to keep up with these grandkids but Judy and I love them. They are indeed a blessing from the Lord. Here’s what God’s Word says: “Old people are distinguished by grandchildren…and a good life gets passed on to the grandchildren.”

Now I have to go find a grandkid to hug!

Grandpa Tom

Grandpa Tom

By the time you read this, Tom will have gone home to be with the Lord after a long battle with health issues. Tom wasn’t really our grandpa, the real ones lived a long ways away. To our kids growing up he was as much a grandpa as the blood ones. In honor of Tom, my friend, I write this memory.

Tom was a man’s man. He loved to hunt geese and gophers, drink red beer, and take a chew once in awhile. He was a retail man who once worked for J.C. Penny’s and later was a partner in Cavalier’s Men and Boys store in Havre, Montana. He was the best darn salesman I ever knew and he loved people. He didn’t just want to sell you something; he wanted to get to know you.

Most of all Tom loved Jesus. Whenever he had a chance, he would share what the Lord had done for him. He wasn’t shy about it nor was he pushy. He wasn’t perfect but he was real. Like the rest of us guys, Tom had some flaws that kept him humble. He was one acquainted with sorrow as he buried two sons and one grandchild. In the midst of tragedy, he never lost his faith.

It was Tom who kept me in check. One time when I was really discouraged and ready to call it quits as a pastor, husband and father, I went over to his house. He was in the basement reloading shells. I stood in the doorway and let it all hang out. He looked at me, kept reloading and told me to sit down, have a beer and let’s talk about it. It was his willingness to listen and not judge that brought me around.

Over the years, I have been privileged to have a number of men friends. I am very thankful for the contributions each has deposited in my life. Without them I would not be where I am today. Tom stood at the head of the line. Not because he was so spiritual or so wise but because he was so human. Tom, you showed me how to walk as a man in the midst of tragedy and joy. You taught me how to shoot gophers and be a salesman. You encouraged me not to be afraid of life but to enjoy it.

Thank you my friend. Rest in Peace.

The Problem Driven Church

The Problem Driven Church

Standing on the front steps of the church one Sunday morning, an elderly lady approached me and said: “I am so mad at God for taking his church back.” Then she proceeded to strike me with her cane. It wasn’t what I expected as I stood there greeting people. I didn’t have a chance to respond and she never spoke to me again.

 I’ve heard a lot of reasons why people don’t go to church; too much talk about money, sin and the devil. But I have a theory as to why most people don’t like church. It comes from years of pastoring small churches. I believe that non-church people don’t want to be associated with narrow minded, bigoted, judgmental imperfect people.

 If the truth were to be told, the church often does not have a very good reputation. We are quite adamant about what we are against but not very articulate about what we stand for. We are seen as having an agenda to get people saved, to church and to be just like us. I am afraid our critics are not far off the mark.

As I read the Bible, I see Jesus spending time building relationships with prostitutes, tax collectors and other assorted sinners. His focus appears to be to share good news about his father who loves people and wants a relationship with them. Jesus had some harsh words to say to religious leaders who were more interested in manipulating people with guilt and shame.

Attitude change does not come easy. The unwritten commandments of church life focus on “we have always done it this way” and “us four and no more.” Jesus modeled a different attitude “they will know you by your love.” He is more interested in people than the rules, the reverends and the rituals. What would church look like if this were the emphasis?

Oh, the little old lady who attacked me with her cane. She was mad that the Episcopal Church updated the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. An interesting reason to be mad at God!

Tossing In The Towel

Tossing In The Towel

I was standing on the corner of 15^th and Juniper Drive in Havre, Montana. I was chatting with a neighbor. I don’t remember much of the conversation but I do remember these words: “I’m tired of all this and I am ready to toss in the towel.” This wasn’t the first time I spoke those words. As a matter of fact, I had been saying it a lot. It was a difficult season in my life: my relationship with Judy was tense, the kids were getting out of hand and the church seemed to be sliding down hill. I had reasons to be discouraged.

But this time was different. I no sooner had those words out of my mouth; when I heard these words, “Say that one more time and you will be in a lot of trouble.” It wasn’t an audible voice but it was a very impacting thought that didn’t come from me. I stood there with my mouth open looking at my neighbor. She asked if there was something wrong. I said no but I had to go.

When I got home, I went in the bedroom and shut the door. I wanted to be alone and I figure out what just happened. That’s when this thought popped into my head. “You have no reason to be discouraged. I have given you a good wife and family. The church you pastor is not the problem; your attitude is. You need to quit tossing in the towel.”

After reading this, you may think I was a little off the bubble, hearing voices in my head. I confess I was a little off the bubble but not because I was hearing strange voices. My attitude was bad because I was feeling sorry for myself and started thinking God was dealing me a bad hand. I got caught in a pity party to which I was the only invited guest. I was beginning to believe my only option was to toss in the towel.

God has a way of getting my attention. As I started listening to what I was saying at home and in public, I was shocked to hear my own poor Dan song. When I started asking others about my negativity, I got all the confirmation I needed. It was time to change the way I was looking at life. It was time to think and speak of the goodness of the Lord.

Jesus says, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure bring forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”