Richland Creek Welcome Ministry

I need some help. Sometimes I think I’m missing something that must be so obvious. I admit I’m not the brightest light on the Christmas tree, but sixteen words shouldn’t be so hard to understand. It’s just ninety-three letters. How did those simple words and letters get so turned around?

When I was in grade school, we started each day with a prayer. With all heads bowed the teacher said a prayer thanking our heavenly Father for another day to come together in a free country to learn. No one ever complained that we had to pray. No one felt pressured to pray. We just prayed. It would have seemed strange if we hadn’t.

Today kids don’t pray at the start of the school day. In some places, if a student even prays silently at his desk he could be suspended. Somehow, giving thanks to our Lord and Savior has become a bad thing. To some people, it’s evil.

I heard recently about a class that visited the Supreme Court in Washington, DC. They huddled in a small circle for a quiet prayer on the landing half way up the steps to this majestic and truly historic landmark. Before they could finish, the police interrupted their prayer and told them they could not pray. They could not ask God’s blessing on this great body. Somehow a prayer would break the law.

The founders of this great country of ours, like the Pilgrims, came to this new world for religious freedom. You see, they were Christians and they wanted to be able to worship an Almighty God without government interference. Christianity was so entrenched in the founders of America that to hold an elected office in every one of the thirteen original colonies required some form of an oath to God and, in most colonies, a belief in the Trinity. In North Carolina, the Constitution said, “That no person, who shall deny the being of God or the truth of the Protestant religion, or the divine authority either of the Old or New Testaments, or who shall hold religious principles incompatible with the freedom and safety of the State, shall be capable of holding any office or place of trust or profit in the civil department within this State.”

We were a Christian nation. I believe the founders planned for it to remain that way. So how did sixteen words that were meant to guarantee our rights as Christians take us to the point where it’s almost illegal to pray today? That’s the part I don’t understand.

You probably know the sixteen words I’m talking about. These are the words that were supposed to protect the church from state interference. These are the words that were intended to protect our religious freedom and they are found in the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America. Do you know what those words say? The complete text relevant to religion reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” How did those sixteen words go from guaranteeing freedom of religion to demanding freedom from religion? I wish someone could tell me.

Thom Fishow

August 8, 2010

Many years ago I heard a story about a man and his donkey. The man was trying to lead the donkey into town so he could carry supplies back to his home. The donkey had other ideas. He chose not to go into town and simply sat down in the middle of the road and refused to budge.

The man first tried coaxing the donkey to get him to move; then he progressed to yelling at the donkey; and finally he resorted to cursing the donkey. When none of this worked, he alternated between pulling on the donkey’s reigns from the front and pushing the donkey’s behind from the back.

After a period of this activity, all unsuccessful, a stranger walked up to the man and said, “The donkey won’t respond to that kind of prodding. You have to treat a donkey with love and compassion. Only through gentleness will the donkey obey.”

The exasperated man told the stranger he would do whatever it took to get the donkey into town and asked the stranger to show him how it’s done. Without hesitation, the stranger picked up a log from the side of the road and whopped the donkey upside the head. The owner of the donkey, who was as expected very upset by this cruel attack on the stubborn animal, yelled at the stranger, “I thought you said you have to treat the donkey with love and compassion and gentleness.”

“That is true,” the stranger calmly replied. “But first, you have to get his attention.”

There are many stories in the Bible about God getting the attention of His people when they chose not to do things His way. We read about Jonah and his time in the belly of a big fish. We’ve learned about Pharaoh and the progressively stronger warnings delivered through God’s servant Moses. And, of course, we all know about the great flood where God spared only Noah and his family from His wrath and in the process got the attention of all mankind. And there are more stories where God tried to get His people to turn from their disobedient ways through his warnings.

Looking back over my life, I can recall times when God sent someone to try to coax me into getting my life or some part of my life in line with His will. Unfortunately, like the donkey, I either missed the intent of the message or simply refused to take the messanger seriously. And as a result, I too have been “whopped upside the head” more than once in my life by God trying to get my attention.

How about you? Has God ever had to resort to more drastic measures to get your attention after giving you several chances to respond to His call? I suppose we can all remember a time or two when God finally got our attention in a most profound way after trying to use a more subtle approach. You know, as I think back, I can say without question that in every case, God has always been able to eventually get my attention. As I write this, I’m thinking, maybe there’s a lesson here. Maybe we should be answering God’s call on the first ring. It sure would be a lot less painful.

Thom Fishow

August 1, 2010

About the time “Cast Away” with Tom Hanks hit the theaters, there was a story going around about another castaway. This castaway had been on an island for many years and was only discovered because a plane veered off course and the pilot spotted the man’s call for help that he had written in the sand. As the pilot was landing the plane to rescue the man he noticed three huts on the island.

The pilot was curious about the huts and asked the man to explain the significance of each. The man walked to one hut and said, ”This is my home; this is where I live.” He then walked to a second hut and said, “This is my church; this is where I worship.” But the man clearly ignored the third hut, so the pilot asked him what it was for. To this the man looked distastefully at the hut and said, “That was my old church, but I didn’t like it there.”

This story makes me laugh even to this day. But it also makes me think. I have known people who have left “perfectly good churches” because of something one person said that hurt their feelings or because some church committee chose blue carpet for the sanctuary when they would have preferred purple.

Don’t misunderstand, there are valid reasons for changing churches, but what is sad is when someone leaves a church over some insignificant difference of opinion. I knew a man who left a church because he thought he should head up a particular committee but someone else was selected for the position. And, I knew a woman who left because they changed her Sunday school teacher and she didn’t like the new one.

In 1 Corinthians 11:18-34, Paul addresses a disagreement among the members of the church in Corinth. This particular passage is just one example of minor bickering within the body that can steal a church’s focus. I’m sure Paul had to deal with others, but he’s making a universal point with this one situation. What matters is that we all have the same core beliefs; we all know and believe the Gospel. Paul is telling us to avoid petty squabbles with our brothers and sisters in Christ because they damage the fabric of a church and they do serious damage to the faith of other believers.

In Psalms 133:1, David writes, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!” You see, the triune nature of God (the Trinity) exemplifies unity. And since we were created in God’s image it makes sense that we should strive to live with our brothers and sisters in that same unity. After all, if it’s good enough for God, it’s reason enough for us.

Thom Fishow

July 25, 2010

I love it when my grandkids or some of the kids from my church who are the age of my grandkids come up to me with an expression or joke I heard when I was in my early teens. It really does take me back, and for just a minute I’m a teenager in middle school in Northern Virginia.

But then I do what many of us “old timers” do and say something like, “Wow, I haven’t heard that in 40 years.” And, to the kids, while hopefully it’s not too big a deal, I’m sure in their minds I’ve just dissed them (I think that’s the expression they use today) for something they thought was so original. You see, their joke or expression is still new to them. They’ve just learned it and they figure when they tell it to me or any adult, it will be no different from them telling it to one of their friends. They just assume everyone is hearing it for the first time.

I realize if I related just a little better with the younger generation I would simply laugh along with them and act like it was the first time I’d ever heard whatever it is they’re telling me.

And then I got to thinking. How often do we do the same thing with a new believer? Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians, “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly–mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.” (1 Corinthians 3:1-2)

When a new believer comes to us spiritually mature Christians with something they’ve just learned about the Bible or some revelation they’ve had, do we share in their excitement, or do we act like we’ve known what they’re telling us all our lives? Or, worse yet, do we use it as a teaching moment–a chance to teach them how much smarter we are about spiritual things?

If a young Christian (and I don’t necessarily mean a young person, but someone who is young in his faith) comes to me and says something that is doctrinally not quite right, I have an obligation to explain what is correct. However, when a young believer gets excited because of something he just learned that I figured out 20 years ago, this should be an opportunity to simply share in his excitement. Not just for his sake, but for mine as well. I should use this opportunity to re-experience the newness of my early relationship with Christ.

Listen, the sanctification process is a journey. It doesn’t happen all at once. So what we learn as we grow in our faith and as we grow in our relationship with Jesus is also a journey. Just as I wouldn’t expect a child to know what an adult knows, I shouldn’t expect a believer who is still only drinking milk to instantly be ready to eat solid food. Here’s what I’ve learned: Even though spiritually I’ve gone beyond milk and have now progressed to solid food, I realize that the solid food is just pablum compared to the filet mignon on which I will feast in heaven.

Thom Fishow

July 11, 2010

Throughout my life, I’ve worked on many different DIY building projects. I’ve built a deck, several fences, six or eight pieces of furniture, shelves, tables, and many other things I’ve forgotten about and have probably thrown out long ago. And, I’m pretty creative, too. I devised a neat way to install the lattice work under our deck so it’s hinged and I can get into that snake pit if ever I need to. Which I do from time to time.

I’ve also built the normal things a father builds for his kids, like tricycles and bicycles, doll houses, play houses, and sandboxes. And, over the years I’ve done a good bit of work on my assortment of cars – mostly before they made the inner workings nothing more than a gasoline-powered computer.

On most of my projects I’ve worked alone, except the deck and one of the fences where I got help from a neighbor. Well, Sandra did help a little with the lattice work, but everything else has been a one-man project. And through all these projects, there’s one thing I’ve learned. One thing that is important enough that I will undoubtedly share it with my grand kids.

With almost every project, there’s always a point where you realize it would be a lot easier if you just had a third hand. Now, don’t get me wrong. I think God did a real good job designing the human body considering He had only a part of one day for both the design and construction and in that time he created a man and a woman. I just think a third hand would have been a nice option if it could be there when you need it. I’m not saying it should be there all the time, because then it would probably get in the way. But if you think about it, I’m sure most people would agree that a third hand would really come in handy (pun intended) at those times when two just aren’t enough. Moms, think about how it would help with changing diapers or dressing the kids. Or how about when you have to carry the groceries into the house and you get to the door and all two of your hands are already full. No, I think a third hand could easily be justified if God ever decides to change the master plan.

But just when I had come to terms with my two-handedness, I got a third hand. Really, I did. And, it just seemed to come out of nowhere. Now don’t go running for your cameras and expect some photo op for the National Enquirer. This isn’t like that. My third hand is probably not at all what you’re thinking.

Okay, stay with me now. When I’m asked to serve, I never pray about it. Never. If I’m not already committed to doing something else, I usually just say yes. And, no, I haven’t always said yes. In the past, my first response was usually to say no. But you see, I learned that if I say yes and God doesn’t want me to do it, He has ways to get my attention. Trust me. So I have plenty of opportunities to serve. And, with these opportunities, come more opportunities to ask others to help. And, you know what I found out? There are always plenty of willing people at the Creek who are happy to serve. That’s one of the great things about the Creek. If you ask people to serve, most will do whatever is needed. Okay, there are some who pray until the opportunity passes, but the rest are usually willing to pitch in when asked.

So, what about my third hand? What’s that all about? Well, a third hand is a rare kind of servant. The kind that just shows up ready to serve before you have the chance to ask for help. They just seem to know what’s needed and jump right in. My third hand is Pastor Brian. Whenever I’m doing something and my two hands are already full and I really could use a third hand, he’s there. My third hand just pops up, out of nowhere, and takes part of my load. No words are spoken. They aren’t needed. He’s just there – before I can ask for help. And he’s gone just as quickly (either back to taking care of his own responsibilities or, probably, being a third hand for someone else). As a matter of fact, he’s usually gone before I get to say, “Thanks.”

And, you know what’s pretty cool? Anyone can be a third hand for someone. All it takes is the right attitude. That and getting good at lurking around corners and finding just the right time to jump out and help before being asked and then disappearing. It’s a pretty unique talent. If you want to know how to do it, ask Pastor Brian. If he’s not hiding, waiting to jump out and help someone, he’s usually pretty easy to find. He’ll be the one serving wherever he’s needed.

For a better description of a Third Hand Ministry, read Hebrews 13:16.

Thom Fishow
June 14, 2009

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